The finale look—a camouflage denim utility jacket with bungee-cord trim and matching jeans—was ultimately the most covetable here.
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The finale look—a camouflage denim utility jacket with bungee-cord trim and matching jeans—was ultimately the most covetable here.
The theme may have been "Total Darkness," but Jen Kao's new collection—her most focused to date—proves that right now, everything is illuminated for this young designer. Inspired by the concept of structured haikus, Kao's Spring lineup combined asymmetrical hemlines and origami-like folds with high-tech sportswear fabrics. The result was clean, wearable pieces that still had a poetic edge to them.
Rip-stop judo jackets and pants came accented with rubberized mesh that glowed in the dark, for example, and a simple shift dress was cut from Latex-bonded jersey that's typically used for athletic compression braces. Kao further nodded to Japanese culture with the stacked wooden geta sandals that the models expertly clomped around in, as well as block-print T-shirts portraying "en masse manta ray migrations" (sounds weird, looked cool). The finale look—a camouflage denim utility jacket with bungee-cord trim and matching jeans—was ultimately the most covetable here. While it was also the most trendy moment this season, it was still distinctly Kao's.