Nicholas K Spring 2016

 Though Nicholas K was true to their aesthetic of nomadic chic for their spring 2016 collection, in this outing the design duo of Christopher and Nicholas Kunz created a collection that was more utilitarian and for the most part more wearable. Wearable and utilitarian are not words that easily come to mind when pondering Nicholas K, but the potential for this evolution has always been there and this season the design duo realized this potentiality.

Calling their spring 2016 collection ‘Terminal Velocity,’ inspired by aerial flight, the design duo employed an aesthetic that conjured up images of aeronautics, buoyancy, and lightness of being. Additionally, this concept paired aerial motifs with restriction, evidenced in cross-bodied ropes and leather straps clasped with metal hardware that suggests, perhaps, that for Nicholas K aerial flight is not without its constraints.

Though Christopher and Nicholas Kunz used billowy silk-like nylons, the design and construction suggested parachute material. And a bit of modern innovation was injected into the collection, particularly with the hooded looks rendering a projection toward space travel or environmentally protective gear.

While in previous outings the brand’s nomadic chic aesthetic combined with voluminous layering made some collections look very encumbered and weighted down, this season the layering produced a more ethereal weightlessness that matched the overall theme of the collection. And the sense of ease movement of this collection and at times lighter color palette buoyed the retail viability of the clothes.

It is been suggested by fashion pundits that Nicholas K with all of its layering and nomad chic point of view is a brand that translates well to a fall/winter design aesthetic. That may be true; however, with this collection Christopher and Nicholas have proved the fashion pundits wrong, creating a collection that is not only worthy of temperate climates but also points the design duo in the right direction.

—William S. Gooch