Cowboy core? Been there, done that. Design duo Charlotte Knowles and Alexandre Arsenault, who gave their spring 2024 Knwls collection a Western twang, moved on to hard-edged ’80s chic for fall, their models pounding the concrete floors of the Old Truman Brewery with their pointy, glossy stilettos.
Backstage, they cited a wish to make the brand more approachable and widen its appeal beyond young generations. Hence the pencil skirts, broad-shouldered jackets with hip belts, and some polished-looking leather coats.
The designers have a knack for giving their clothes a nearly vintage aspect with the unique patinas they give to leather, their muddy prints and offbeat colors, which this season included sickly greens and yellows in addition to more conservative shades like camel.
They didn’t completely exorcise their inner club kids and continued to experiment with corset tops and lacing, the latter applied to form-fitting denim jackets, clamdiggers and an evening gown. Jersey skirts and clinging tank dresses seemed to have one foot in a creative workplace, the other on the dance floor — hence one strap was tugged off the shoulder.
The press notes touted the collection’s “severe elegance,” “aloof chic” and “punkish flair.”
While wishing to elevate their brand, Knowles and Arsenault said they’re also battling to keep prices in check, and have shifted some production to Portugal from Italy so as not to alienate their current devotees and the broader, young-at-heart crowd they’re out to seduce.
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