Nicholas K Spring 2014

Nicholas K is known for their ease-of-movement garments expressed in drapey, soft fabrics in muted color palettes. This spring 2014 collection was no exception to the brand’s signature aesthetic. Though seen through a kaleidoscope of Native American influences, Nicholas K managed to maintain their established point of view without allowing the indigenous shaman traditions to overpower.

The design duo reached back to their formative years of growing up in Tucson, Arizona near an Apache reservation as a point of reference for this spring 2014 outing. Still, the combination of native shamanism and Nicholas K’s penchant for loose, swaddling garments did not make for conflicting bedfellows. Actually, the disparate points of views seem to complement each other well. This is due in part to Nicholas K’s abilities to focus the collection on proportion and their signature draping aesthetic with shaman influence mostly as a reference point.

Color palettes ranged from variety of earth and rock tones to other natural element color. Tones were aptly named earth, granite, mica, smoke pattern, alabaster, and antler. As always, the brand had some great jackets and separates. Standouts are an earth-colored two-toned, Nile jacket, the asymmetrical onyx Nala jacket, and the inverted granite Mirella jacket.

Interestingly enough, Nicholas K stayed away from using a lot of Native American tribal prints in this outing. There are only a few garments with tribal patterns, the most interesting being the smoke-pattern Cyprus sweater. Still, this outing was a step in the right direction for the brand with more wearable pieces and separates for consumers. This collection demonstrates that brand can maintain their signature aesthetic while keeping retail viability in mind.

—William S. Gooch