Jackson Wiederhoeft launched his namesake label three years ago with a bridal collection he made all by himself during the early months of the pandemic. “It was really beautiful to spend a lot of time making it,” he recalled during a recent appointment at his Garment District showroom. “I felt like, since I am the one making it, I have to be obsessed with every piece in order to spend a week making each one.” These days he carries that same spirit as he branches out beyond bridal collections into ready-to-wear—although bridal still accounts for about 95% of his business. This year, he was selected as one of the finalists for the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund.
Wiederhoeft’s trademark is an over-the-top glam silhouette that favors extravagant shapes, intricate hand-embroidery, and a little sense of humor. The signature Wiederhoeft gown in this collection was the one in the opening look; a strapless number embroidered with thousands of pink sequins, and adorned with an appliqué of a poodle’s head (complete with a fuzzy marabou feathers head and ears).
Poodle dress aside, the magic of his work is that his clothes are eminently wearable. A long sleeve lace gown, embroidered with crystals and beads in a lace design, looks risqué when worn over a matching lace bra and panties, but swap the underwear for, say a black slip dress, and it’s simply a beautiful gown to be wore to any number of black tie events. Similarly, the embroidered white satin cropped jacket and matching trousers worn over an also fully embroidered “gimp suit” is an obviously elegant ensemble solo. Corsetry is a mainstay of Wiederhoeft’s aesthetic, but now he is incorporating new ways to make it more accessible, like adding a zipper so the wearer doesn’t need to be “laced up into it.” That being said, some looks featured “neck corsets,” tiny corsets that wrap around the throat but looked like doll corsets hanging on the rack. “They really change your posture,” he said, cheekily.
A wide skirt in silk moiré with a thick, “boxing short” inspired elastic waist was an example of an unfussy, throw-it-on and go piece that would look just as good with a t-shirt or a little sweater as it does with its glamorous matching corset. Bright fuchsia double-faced satin overalls with beaded embroidery looked sporty and fun on the rack, ready to be paired with a simple white tee for an easy, comfortable way to turn heads when entering a room. “We’re a brand for people who live for fashion,” Wiederhoeft said. “You can be one of two things, a brand that’s known for beautifully crafted, beautiful clothes, or a brand that’s not necessarily every-day but is for people who want to make a statement.” It seems with this collection, he has proven you can in fact be both things at once.
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