EPPERSON, the designer of the namesake collection known by the same moniker as the designer himself, simply “EPPERSON” debuted his Fall Winter 2021 collection “runway” show on the CFDA’s Runway360 website. This is the designer’s first official showing during NYFW, which comes on the heels of his winning the prestigious Fashion Group International Rising Star Award for Womenswear in late December.
Shot in a snow-covered back yard in the designer’s hometown of New York City, the models strolled out on the pure white crystalline catwalk to the almost haunting words of EPPERSON himself articulating the design journey on which he currently finds himself. “As we continue through the Pandemic, we have the opportunity to look around & feel grateful,” he says. “I’ve used the time to reflect. I’m looking back in order to go forward & taking the experiences I’ve gained in the past & bringing them to the forefront.” Cue music… go models…
EPPERSON’s aesthetic is one of recycled, artisanally-hewn creativity, that reads equal parts homespun & underground-designer-vibey-cool that is normally only found on the runways of the Paris underground or from Tokyo in the late 80s/early 90s. There’s a nomadic cool to EPPERSON’s aesthetic that is difficult to pinpoint from whence the inspiration was born. They seem otherworldly, yet fully grounded – home-made, yet intricately designed – complicated, yet naturally at ease. These are clothes that exude story & inspiration with every stitch & every step of the model.
The video takes a truly special turn at the mid-way point when EPPERSON is shown in action explaining his process & inspiration. “My collection is inspired by the sense of reflection & the very real question of protection. The need for a shield of armor. A warrior stance as you press forward,” says the designer. “The collection blends textures & features tattered patchwork, gathering, lattice & mostly black garments with pops of color – plaid & denim. It is infused with my signature up-cycled pieces.”
The Fall Winter 2021 EPPERSON collection brings so many of the trends that have been emerging over the last few seasons on the global runways – up-cycling, sustainability, gender fluidity, layering, seasonal neutrality, artisanal processes – & wraps them all into one not to be missed showings that set the standard for creative expression for this genre of design. The Fashion Group International got it right. The EPPERSON star is indeed on the rise.
