Jackson Wiederhoeft smartly zeroed in on his two biggest categories for spring: striking eveningwear and head-turning bridal, staged inside New York Live Arts, an actual 200-seat theater, in a show that played out more like a theatrical performance than a runway.
Photo: Courtesy of Fashion Network, Courtesy of Wiederhoeft
As guests found their seats, four hooded “Statue Watchers” in drapey gray gowns and opera gloves with bedazzled palms glided around a large-scale bust set center stage. “We present the new collection with a runway presentation titled ‘Last Look,'” the brand shared. “The runway exists as a singular scene from a greater narrative. We meet our Queens, Attendants, Stargazers, and Statue Watchers on their final day on the planet Silk. We hope to tell this story forever.”
Photo: Courtesy of Wiederhoeft, Moda Operandi
The collection told a dystopian tale of the crown passing across generations of queens, split between bridal and eveningwear, both grounded in Wiederhoeft’s signature corset.
The bridal chapter opened with a white, off-the-shoulder, floor-length gown, followed by brocade ballgowns with pleated corseted bodices and lacy bolero-style sleeves. The craftsmanship throughout was genuinely extraordinary. The embroidery, Wiederhoeft noted, is done in Mumbai, by men using techniques passed down through generations, as old as any epic. Metal-wrapped pearls, arum lily embellishments, and entirely beaded pieces, including a fringed bodysuit that looked built for a stage of its own, ran through the collection, pushed further by a trip to India this past summer, resulting in corseted looks layered with Vienna Chantilly lace and tulle, hand embroidery, and lush 3D florals crafted from cut beads and metal sequins.
Photo: 2,3,6,7 – Courtesy of Wiederhoeft, 1,5 – Moda Operandi, 4,8 – Courtesy of Fashion Network
Eveningwear rounded out the show with black lace-covered naked dresses, embroidered blush pink ensembles, and sharply tailored, pearl-encrusted jacket paired with mini skirt, each look defined by the same intricate corsetry, beadwork, and lace detailing running through the bridal chapter. “A lot of what you see here is more hyper-feminine and more girly compared to what we usually do,” Wiederhoeft said. “I really wanted to honor the client this season.”
Photo: 1,8 – Courtesy of Fashion Network, 2,4,5,6,9,10,11,12 – Wiederhoeft, 3,7 – Moda Operandi
