In the moments before Hood By Air's Fall '15 show, "Daddy," I ran into an editor friend who told me he wasn't there to write up the show, but rather to provide guidance to a colleague. "The writer wanted me here to provide a gay perspective," he said, "because, you know, daddy." "Daddy" is a loaded word, and as I waited for the show to start I heard showgoers shuffling into their seats, murmuring to each other aloud, "What do you think he means by 'Daddy'?"
The invitation card for this particular show featured the gory Francisco Goya painting "Saturn Devouring His Son," and Shayne Oliver, with a feature in New York magazine, a NYT Arts section front page story, and a swiftly ascending profile, readied his brand for commercial sacrifice. The models might have been ensconced in what Emilie Friedlander described as "Slender Man" facial stockings, but the actual clothes we saw on the runway were a far cry from the deconstructionist fantasies of Hood By Air's showings from last season. The pieces were wearable; it's not just that you could wear them, but you actually might. The most accessible looks from HBA's Sunday presentation, below.
1. This floor-length collared dress printed with the HBA logo
2. These tan pants paired with a bomber jacket and white button down
3. This sweatshirt and white blazer
4. This pin-tucked peach shirtdress
5. This oversized mohair sweater
6. This all white ensemble
7. This shoulder-less black dress
8. This simple black T-shirt dress with a thigh slit
9. These ath-leisure pants and suede sneakers
All images: Arun Nevader / Getty Images.