We’re about to enter our third pandemic year and the supply chain is still vexing designers. In early 2020, the delays and shortages were triggered by factory closures and attempts to keep transport workers safe; now, factories can’t keep up with the surge in demand for consumer goods—particularly home items and tech—which has led not just to delays, but also higher prices and a scarcity of supplies and parts, from chemicals to computer chips to textiles.
What does that mean for designers like Nellie Partow? Certain mills and suppliers are shuttered for good, while others are working with reduced staff. Some can’t maintain their machines or equipment, like laser-cutters. Partow’s pre-fall 2022 collection opens with a statement coat unlike anything she’s made in the past: a two-tone bonded cotton trench with a tessellation of rectangular laser cut-outs. Each one is ultra-precise, but with frayed edges for a touch of warmth; on a flared skirt, the treatment is more cleaned-up. Partow revealed the laser-cutting was done entirely here in New York; her usual cutters in Italy weren’t able to take the job, but she was happily surprised to find the same expertise locally. (On a similar note, the taupe and black suits—eased up here with more “collapsible” proportions—were hand-dyed near Partow’s Chelsea studio.)
The other news for this collection is the nod to Partow’s Persian heritage. Those laser cut-outs and new geometric knits are inspired by Persian rugs, the latter in rich shades of saffron and Arabian blue. They’ll lend some boldness to the Partow woman’s repertoire, particularly those who are more familiar with her crisp jacquard-striped shirting, updated here in a fresh orchid colorway.
For all the latest fasion News Click Here
