Meryll Rogge pulls from pop culture, and this season showed off her ability to play with Americana in subversive ways.
Christmas was the touchstone for fall, but instead of idyllic, the Belgian designer looked to lowbrow references like the “Home Alone” movies. It might be a holiday classic, but it revels in kitsch. Rogge embraces that here, while pulling in her usual art-world references in the portraiture of Thomas Struth.
The collection unwrapped in stages — first fuzzy outerwear, the tight mesh dresses and shrunken wool thermal underwear worn as coordinates on men in the unisex presentation. Men sport boxers and she elevates the brief shape for women in red and white with floral appliqués. Hey, if we are home alone, shouldn’t we be comfortable?
Tracksuits, romantic blousons and layered apron skirts all take on new proportions, as she blows them up and shrinks them down in turn.
Plaid is where she took the most twists this season, mixing and matching that most Christmassy of patterns, turning Scottish tartans into long gowns with ruffled bottoms, button-downs with voluminous cuffs and flared trousers.
These pieces are the core of the collection. It’s signature Rogge style, but everything is slightly off-kilter. She rights herself with wool cigarette pants that pool at the ankle, bustiers and column cocktail dresses that show off her tailoring chops. She also turns her eye to eveningwear in dresses with oversize sequin paillettes and some inflated shapes, as if her party girl is only playing dress up with mom’s wardrobe.
A dress that literally resembled a present was too literal, but if the scarf for dogs doesn’t give it away, Rogge is here to have some fun.
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