Andrew Gn (Q2646)
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Andrew Gn is a fashion house from FMD.
| Language | Label | Description | Also known as |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | Andrew Gn |
Andrew Gn is a fashion house from FMD. |
Statements
Andrew Gn decided to call his fall outing “Roots,” for lots of reasons. First of all, he wanted it to reflect his Asian origin. His standing as Singapore’s most famous fashion designer has, rightfully, earned him a major retrospective at the Asian Civilizations Museum in his homeland, which will open with a gala in May and run through September. It’s a major honor and a milestone. But it’s not the only point.“Today, when you talk about roots, it’s not just about where you were born, it’s about where you have been in your life,” the designer said during a showroom preview. The fall collection, therefore, represents Gn’s whole life story, here aptly shot against the gilded woodwork in the Musée Carnavalet, the recently renovated museum of the city of Paris.Take a gold-caramel plissé column dress with an iris border and the designer’s signature butterflies, for example: that piece is inspired by a kimono, probably dating to the turn of the last century, that belonged to Gn’s Japanese grandmother. For fall, Gn revisited its motifs, which were hand painted in gouache and watercolor in his Paris studio, then printed in Lyon and crushed into Fortuny pleats using old-school techniques, creating a bridge between Japanese and French traditions.Gn makes a point of championing traditional savoir-faire, and he has turned his passion for late 19th century artistic movements, such as William Morris prints, into a house signature. This season, he amps up opulence with metallic antique gold, copper brocade, jewel tones and embellishments like vintage lace, plumes and jeweled details that nod to vintage Boucheron. (“Husbands love my pieces because you don’t have to invest in any more jewelry,” he said.) A simple ’60s shift, for example, in rich greens from avocado to emerald, is trimmed with rhinestones dyed to match. A white, flared cheongsam shape might have ’40s-style puff sleeves and lace polka dots inspired by the Viennese Secession. A pleated halter number, in pleated teal, channels Marilyn Monroe by way of Gn-land. Elsewhere, what looks like an embellished white blouse with bronze chrysanthemum brocade skirt is, in fact, a trompe l’oeil dress with vintage Art Deco lace on the bib, reproduced especially for Gn by Solstice.New this season is a Victorian-era rose chintz motif revisited in coral or earthy tones with jeweled buttons.
A Regency-era lacquered Coromandel screen the designer picked up in England became a rich chocolate print that “lets me see the East from the West, from the life I live now,” he said.Whether Gn feels Parisian depends on the moment. He speaks fluent Mandarin, so he frequently spends off hours getting up to speed on Asian pop cultures via Weibo and YouTube. “There’s the European/Anglo Saxon side and the Eastern side, and I don’t think you have to decide,” he offered. “To be a whole person, you need both.”This collection manifested that worldview. Here’s betting that it will resonate with Gn’s loyal clientele, wherever they are.
3 March 2023
Many will have noticed, as summer edged toward fall, that Rajwa Al-Saif, for her engagement to Crown Prince Hussein of Jordan, posted an official portrait in which she wore a white dress by Andrew Gn. It was simple, modern, and understated—but not overly conservative. The moment spoke volumes.“I like the idea of doing fashion bridal, not conservative bridal,” Gn said during a recent showroom visit. He also likes the idea of fashion weddings, when a runaway bride gets married in a caftan in Bali or a bride in Iceland wears some funky embroidered marabou coat or a bride at a destination wedding in India dons lots of crystal embellishments. Stay tuned for more news in that department.Meanwhile, Gn has been doing a brisk business in rehearsal and guest dresses, a less stressful category for all concerned. “There are enough people out there doing poufy dresses,” he quipped. “We want to keep things sophisticated and relaxed.”Gn speaks to a very specific consumer, though she comes in all shapes and sizes (from 0 to 24). She’s a woman who, he said, wants to focus on important things, like traveling, whether to physical places or in her mind. Or—why not?—through time: the farther away from the headlines, the better.Regardless of actual destinations, there were plenty of options in Gn’s spring collection, aptly named Voyage AGN. Anchored in the ’60s and ’70s (“When people were truly happy,” he said), it channeled an haute bohemian sense of hope.Gn’s base will thrill to signatures like trompe l’oeil lacing with jeweled clasps, a modernized take on a dress from his Victorian collection (minus the bow, plus crystals), and bone-structured sleeves with hand-tacked plissé. Statement pieces such as a black car coat or a white Spencer were tricked out in fuchsia paisley trim (with or without those signature pleated cuffs). Almost-naive flowers in vintage silk velvet and silk satin were embroidered with black jets and sequins for a couture-level limited run of 30 jackets that recalled stained glass. Each one of those is unique, a way of “using what you have in the fridge to put out a meal,” the foodie designer noted.Elsewhere, a “very Anjelica Huston” sleeveless cheongsam in emerald Fortuny pleats was a showstopper among plenty of other options that nodded to the filmIn the Mood for Love.Dresses with necklace embellishments took one-and-done to the next level. Slouchy pajama pants, a new look for the designer, whispered relaxed elegance.
Prints extrapolated from 19th-century English chintz dallied with psychedelic paisley: Not an obvious marriage, but it worked.For Gn, multiple currents and riots of color are a way of signaling optimism for the future. “It’s the only way to be,” he said.
30 September 2022
As with most expats, Singapore’s most famous fashion son knows that moving to France doesn’t quite make you French. Andrew Gn, like many before and since (this reporter included), integrated while staying true to his roots—and also worked like hell and made the rest up as he went along. Paris was his promised land.From the idea of cross-pollination—the creative mash-up of cultures and traditions—Gn drew inspiration for a collection that also marks his 30th year in France.During a visit to his showroom, the designer recalled how his mother used to take silk from Japanese obis to make a Singaporean national costume or an Indonesian batik to fashion a cheongsam or a skirt suit. “My family history is all about cross pollination; they brought things with them and transformed them,” he said.Blending that idea with this season’s salient trend, Gn added that, for him, “the new minimalism is maximalism of color.” Which is why a salt-and-pepper tweed jacket with tinted ostrich feather cuffs might have handmade cameo buttons with the likeness of a gladiator, or a revisited Mayan mask with dangling pearls. Those vibrant flourishes appeared in many iterations in a lineup the designer called “classic Gnette,” spanning strong-shoulder minidresses, lavishly pleated gowns, flowing fringed numbers in jewel tones, and the embroidered coats that his loyalists collect year in, year out.For prints, Gn looked to the things around him that he loves, like a Limoges porcelain vase he bought from the flea market with roses so bright, they’re almost kitsch (“I’ve always wondered if that was made for an export market,” he quipped). Those became a print in bright mint and pale yellow that the designer mused one might find on fabrics from South America. Elsewhere, a chrysanthemum print was reworked and recolored from a Suzy Wong collection a few years back.In the recent past, Gn was one of the designers lucky enough to find himself still producing lamé pleated gowns in mid-lockdown. Now that things are opening up again, his clientele’s social calendars are heaving with destination weddings. With some 80 looks to choose from here, they’ll probably find what they need.
4 March 2022
People may be out and about in Paris, but Andrew Gn is one designer who gets that, while we all may be eager to get dressed up and socialize again, something fundamental has shifted.“Now people want to dress in ways that stand the test of time,” Gn observed during a showroom visit. Which is why his spring outing is rife with investment pieces that are in it for the long haul. Several jumpsuits, say, or workhorse dresses with jeweled collars, or maybe a white suit with jeweled buttons and harem trousers for the modern bride. (The coming boom has his base spreadsheeting outfits, the designer notes).Seeing his clothes re-emerge from clients’ closets is always a rush for Gn. So he decided to heed a recurring request from at least one loyalist who literally wore a coral motif jacket from his 2011 cruise collection to bits. Since that’s one of Gn’s favorite signatures, the next thing he did was reach out to the Great Barrier Reef Foundation.The result is a reimagining of his classics, an awareness-raising hashtag—#CoralsAliveAGN—and plans to showcase those pieces with an international retailer. That motif, reimagined in white and gold brocade on a coat with detachable pleated cuffs, on maxi dresses with red dip-dyed feathers, or as a ’70s-inflected print, will offer plenty of mileage.Another major influence was the Elizabeth Taylor-Richard Burton filmBoom!Though dark-ish and a flop in its day, the designer points out that even yesterday’s lemons can change how you see the world now. Shot in 1968, the film is set on Sardinia, in a mid-century modern house with lashings of baroque decor. That and Taylor’s wardrobe make it worth the watch, he offered.In that spirit, a white dress with cap sleeves and strong, custom-shaped shoulders harks back to the ’80s, reviving the empowerment a V-shape can confer and creating a little personal space in the bargain. Ditto a coat dress with jeweled details, a dress with a ruched, draped waist, and a double-breasted jacket. Power sleeves riff on Restoration-era leg-of-mutton, worked in duchess satin or in 3D guipure featuring Gn’s beloved butterflies.The designer also uses lace as a romantic counterpoint, for example on a black dress dripping with tendrils inspired by ’20s-era confections. Vintage lace gets a second life in a short cocktail dress with puffed sleeves.
As a finale, this season Gn will also finally get around to a proper launch for his accessories, going direct to consumers with the A handbag, embellished with hardware inspired by the work of sculptor Jean Arp, colorful belts and chandelier earrings, among other pieces. Here’s betting those turquoise and coral-colored numbers move fast.
1 October 2021
By his own reckoning, Andrew Gn is a cat with nine lives. Despite facing down two serious medical setbacks in the past five years, the most recent just a couple of months ago, he is working his way back to top form. He reckons he has seven more lives to go, at least, and he’s not wasting a minute.Not one for brooding or nostalgia, Gn prefers to keep pushing forward, taking with him the things he’s always loved (and collected), like chinoiserie. He shot the video accompanying this collection in his apartment, so one immediately gets the mix he favors for his personal surroundings and why his ladies identify so closely with him. They occupy the same world.For fall, favorite items—an early 18th-century Queen Anne cabinet or a 19th-century coromandel screen—inspired lush brocades and rich prints. A brocade evening coat in emerald on a maroon ground, or a slightly more subtle version in bronze against slate, features handmade jeweled buttons and pearl edging, which is the designer’s bid to give the over-neglected jewel a new style of wear. A clever emerald leopard print nods to Henri Rousseau’sLe Rêve, a reference to Gn’s taste for exoticism. Crystal and cabochon embellishments simultaneously reference Rococo and tribal inspirations, ranging from a touch of sparkle on the sleeves of a beige coat with a white fur collar to full-on silver inserts covering a little black number with one of the season’s other signature flourishes, removable pleated cuffs.Gn also revisited a few signatures. Followers of the designer’s heritage Instagram account will recognize a futuristic, winglike take on the pagoda shoulders he’s been honing since his pan-Asian collection of 2003—a shape that nods to his obsession with traditional dance costumes in Bali and Thailand. “It’s powerful, but it also makes a woman look very feminine,” Gn offered, nodding to a bolero jacket in vibrant red. (It also comes in black.)Statement colors are one of Gn’s strong suits, as on a jeweled bolero in a mustardy “Beijing yellow” or travel-friendly Fortuny-pleated lamé tops and gowns in fuchsia, beetle green, or gold. Those were offset by romantic pastel shades like lilac, periwinkle, or the blush pink Gn chose as an accent color at home. That brings an added layer of meaning to a collection that, despite being officially titled Hope and Glory—a tribute to the late Dame Vera Lynn—could well be subtitled Homage à Ma Maison.
And given that Gn’s maison is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, he’s mulling loyalists’ requests to reedit some old favorites. “They ask because they’ve worn the original ones to pieces, and now people are very eager to get out and enjoy life and look wonderful again,” he offered. That, and one can only buy so much cashmere loungewear.
5 March 2021
For anyone who figures that showing via Zoom is respite from the runway, Andrew Gn would like to set the record straight: Doing things virtually is even more work-intensive. To that end, he spent the last several months upping his technical savvy, and he brought the young Swiss filmmaker Le Jozy to his light-filled, Coromandel-lined showroom salon to shoot the four-minute video revealed here.“Like so many, during lockdown I was reassessing my purpose and my work—there’s so much energy that goes into handling uncertainties, and that’s even before you start designing the clothes,” Gn said. The eye-opener came when an old friend called from San Francisco to place an order because she wanted to look forward to wearing it at Christmas.“I realized that in times like these we should always project, find something positive,” he observed. “Beauty is such an important thing in life. If you don’t see beauty, you don’t see the future.” He named his spring collection “May there be light.” For Gn, happier times mean blue skies and the purity of white, with ample texture and haute bohemian mixes of transparency and guipure lace, as well as practical flourishes like a removable statement collar. Joie de vivre, he realized, can be as easy as a swish of fringe (not coincidentally a favorite on TikTok). And he channeled hope into prints with painterly, contemporary impressions of cherry blossoms on a black, sky blue, or café au lait ground.In a more figurative vein, the designer looked to the kimonos his mother wore in the ’70s for “Iris Border,” a panoramic print he used on midi dresses and a trio of long silhouettes, notably a jumpsuit with a bustier top. As usual, he also reached further back, to the 17th century for his collars and to the 18th for a crossover drape inspired by dresses “à la Polonaise,” adapted on the sleeve of an otherwise minimal belted jacket in summer denim.Gn also made a bid for brevity, for example in a thigh-grazing white plissé dress with black and white daffodil appliqué, in black and white tweed dresses embellished with buttons inspired by a Maltese cross, and in a number of looks with high-waisted shorts. (After wearing sweats for so long, there’s also joy in flashing a little leg, the designer quipped.)Absent the occasion to wear sumptuous evening gowns, Gn noted that his base is asking for clothes that are “comfortable but not one-wear wonders.
” His response for evening: a strong-shouldered black column dress he calls the Joan Crawford, which also happens to be reasonably priced for the designer’s habitual eco-sphere. “Now is not the moment to be weird,” he said. “The future is happening now, and my job is to bring pleasure and hope.”
2 October 2020
Everyone in fashion knows that Andrew Gn is a brilliant colorist. Even when he’s doing minimalism, he’s staying true to his maximalist heart whether through fabric, saturated color, or embellishment. His fall show opened with a case in point: a series of comparatively austere, solid-colored dresses, in sober black or white embellished with vintage handcrafted buttons. Those were followed by jewel-tone dresses, with or without fabulous faux bijoux, at times in meticulously pleated, sultry lamé. One fitted emerald midi-dress, for example, featured rose-hued jewels anchored at the neckline and was lefttremblantat the ends. At that point, the designer was still just warming up.Backstage before the show, Gn mentioned that he’d been revisiting George Cukor’s 1976 American-Soviet children’s fantasy filmThe Blue Bird. The movie tanked at the box office despite a stellar cast, with Elizabeth Taylor as Mother/Queen of Light, Jane Fonda as Night, and Ava Gardner as Luxury. But all that OTT set Gn down a mystical path: think griffins, gold, galaxies, and epic yarns, from the Norwegian fairy taleEast of the Sun and West of the Moon(which Gn read in Chinese as a boy) toRamayanaand medieval mythology.Filtered through Gn’s prism, those disparate influences yielded an eye-catching story. Highlights included a couple of tweed ensembles; a brocade coat with jeweled buttons and Byzantine appliqués; and pieces with fragments of the cosmos frozen in sequins, for example on an oversized tweed coat and a long black gown. As a parting shot, the griffin appeared in a lavishly worked cape.As he readily admits, the designer is never happy with any one thing, and to wit he slipped a stylized letterAinto the mix on a grouping of bold-hued Byzantine prints. Not everyone can rock all that, but one thing seems clear: Every Gn loyalist out there will find something she loves in here that she can wear now and for seasons to come.
29 February 2020
Madame de Pompadour was the stated muse at Andrew Gn this season. She was, as the designer told it backstage before his show, the original influencer, impacting art and culture in the court of Louis XV. But that level of pomp and circumstance didn’t carry into Gn’s well-considered clothing—and thank heavens for it. A favorite of society types, Gn can play to the well-off and well-trod better than any, but his Spring 2020 collection had an irreverent bite of sauciness.Pearl and leather belts, boots, and earrings helped to counterbalance the prettiness of the clothing for sure, but Gn’s strict silhouettes in unexpected materials made this collection a recent highlight for him. Embroidered denim skirt suits, with ribbon-cinched waists and fluted hem skirts, were a smart subversion on high-fashion flou. Vegetable-dyed neon pink prints were not only sustainable, but read as easy, unfussy, and cool. The pieces that merited the mostoohsandaahsfrom the audience were the finale dresses, with appliqués and embroideries on citrus colors that would make their wearer the centerpiece of any gala or charity ball. The only qualm with these perfectly lovely and well-considered garments was in the presentation. The soundtrack was Lizzo and Missy Elliott’s “Tempo,” a song that chants, “Slow songs, they for skinny hoes, can’t move all of this here to one of those.” Gn’s clientele is diverse of citizenship and body type—why show this collection exclusively on ultra-thin models?
27 September 2019
A perennial go-to for clients with a fully saturated social agenda, Andrew Gn has been staging a youth-quake for several seasons now. Of course, in Gn’s world “elevated street” means that a fringed T-shirt may come with guipure appliqué, and top-stitched, fringed linen cargos may be finished with ribbons. These, together with the designer’s usual signatures—a print inspired by 18th-century wallpaper, a labor-intensive black-and-white dress with guipure appliqué—made this Resort collection one of his most successful in recent memory.That’s also because Gn has moved to take climactic extremes into consideration: Paris saw winter in June this year until a heat wave hit just in time for Couture Week. In response, Gn is incorporating more all-season outerwear, like tweed jackets, as well as straight-up Resort wear, so that his clients can pick up what they need when they need it.He is also becoming increasingly attuned to no-waste design. “We want to make beautiful pieces to keep, so you don’t need to buy 10 things, you can buy one,” he explained. Hence the recent incorporation of stocks of vintage lace or silk prints and more vegetal dyes. “It just takes a bit more patience and time [to source], and you find amazing things that will never be produced again,” he said. Case in point: He recently picked up a hoard of 1960s lace from a factory in Calais. Some of it turned up in Resort, as an overlay on a pink dress with a pleated skirt. On other pieces, Gn develops the embellishments himself, such as the white lace on a Wedgwood blue dress, or his signature butterflies.Gn’s customers tend to buy things and keep them forever—one of them coined the term “hallowed pieces,” the designer said. Now that his e-business has ramped up, he’s embarking on more experiential shopping, for example, with the likes of Moda Operandi: Last week in Paris, Gn mingled with his ladies at a private dinner cohosted by Princess Astrid of Liechtenstein. “For us, it’s always been about the experience,” the designer noted.
11 July 2019
As Andrew Gn goes on his merry way—he is one of the most successful indies in Paris—the more he’s come to realize that he’s “no longer satisfied with only one thing,” as he put it during a recent interview.Which is not to be taken as a bid for overconsumption—quite the contrary. What the designer has been mulling is the many different ways women may choose to live today, and their melting-pot origins, as evidenced by this season’s look-book model, a beauty of Dominican, Spanish, and Chinese descent.Gn, likewise, is a man of multiple ancestries, a collector of many different kinds of beautiful things, and also a renowned foodie. Cultural cross-pollination comes second nature to him, which is particularly evident on his Instagram feed and in this collection. Riffing on the diversity of influences around him, the designer roamed from Paris’s toniest shopping streets to the African neighborhood known as the Goutte d’Or and beyond.The city of Lyon, whose fortune stemmed from 19th-century silk textile production, got a tribute in a gown with a custom-woven bronze floral motif in fil coupe. Elsewhere, what seemed like a bronze windowpane check on black or white tweed was in fact custom-made, hand-placed passementerie, and a brocade was inspired by a 17th-century portrait by Bronzino.But African-inflected prints are where Gn really pushed into new territory: A series he might as well call Haute Barbès had stripes of emoji brights zigzagging down a caftan or spilling down a sleeveless black midi dress. A pale magnolia on a lemon-yellow dress was hand-painted in Gn’s studio but is rooted in the Chinese silkscreen tradition, with an African flair—a reference to the flow of Asian cultures in Africa today, the designer noted. Some of these looks were truly for the bold, but then again the designer’s base is not known for wallflower tendencies. Whether they go for long or mini, in maximalist print, brocade, feathers, and jewel tones, or a comparatively minimalist look in simple black and white, Gn’s ladies will find lots to love here.
4 February 2020
Andrew Gn’s couture approach to ready-to-wear (not to mention his expansive personality) has endeared him to society ladies for years now. This season, he surprised them by switching tack, dialing back on the surface embellishments he’s known for in favor of fabric development and construction.The result was one of his strongest shows in recent memory. The designer said that the ’60s dramaThe World of Suzy Wong, which he saw again recently after first watching it as a kid, had stuck with him. “I always thought there was something different about the star, Nancy Kwan,” said Gn. He later learned that her father was Chinese and her mother was Scottish. Soon after, he came across a still of Grace Kelly wearing a traditional cheongsam, and it clicked. “It’s very covered up, but for me the cheongsam is the sexiest dress the Chinese ever created,” he said.Gn and his atelier dove deep into construction techniques, developing python and zebra jacquard or snakeskin lace and using them as panels, inserts, and overlays with cut velvet jacquard and taffeta. An early geometric jacquard coat with feather sleeves signaled this new direction, and that initial black-and-white series flowed into a masterful exercise in color blocking. (Said Gn after the show: “I am a colorist. I don’t wear a lot, but I love it.”) Emerald green snake appliqués on sharply tailored coats and jackets were another striking departure. Toward the end, the designer pushed the cheongsam idea into a trapeze dress embroidered with silver stars and rhinestones that is probably already packed up and on its way to a red carpet somewhere.Other groupings hewed more to familiar signatures, such as butterfly frogging on a flounce-sleeved top with a mandarin collar, and a royal blue coat or a white crepe dress. The guipure dresses with 3-D appliqués were also classic Gn. Elsewhere, he transposed a chrysanthemum motif from a Japanese Meiji period vase onto a series of dresses, most strikingly on a chartreuse midi with hand-braided fringe.Those kinds of special, limited-series pieces are something Gn’s core customer counts on. Now that he has his e-commerce business squared, Gn is building out his business incrementally both online and off. He’s in talks to open a store in Hong Kong early next year, but in the meantime, he says, he’s finding pop-ups an ideal way to connect personally with his base.
To that end, the designer is readying one for Chicago in May, with part of the proceeds earmarked for the University of Chicago cancer research fund.
3 March 2019
Andrew Gn prefaced this showroom visit by saying he had named his Pre-Fall collection Tiramisu, even though the coffee-drenched dessert was unrelated to the designs. “It brings joy and happiness,” he explained. “In these times, who wouldn’t want a pick-me-up?”Of course, the pleasure of tiramisu lasts only until the final spoonful, whereas one of Gn’s new suit jackets in mauve or teal could be enjoyed for years. He noted how including tailored pieces was important to him this season—not just as a juxtaposition to his usual ladylike dresses, but as a stand-alone statement reflecting his appreciation for detail. Shoulders, for instance, had been constructed with horsehair canvas as traditionally done on Savile Row. And the colors were not insignificant, even if they seemed limiting. You need only consider Kate Middleton or various female politicians to know that an allover color statement can signal controlled expression.But Gn will always have a penchant for pretty prints, and some from this season came with a personal story. The designer’s father, when traveling for work, would bring his mother fabrics from places including Indonesia and Japan, which she would have made into dresses. Finding some of these back in Singapore, Gn reimagined them as his own creations, which ranged in style from elevated-bohemian to princess-worthy. Cut sharp and slim, the brocade suit was a fine résumé of the collection; but more important, it could look fantastic for a formal function if ever gown fatigue sets in.It was a pleasure to see Gn proudly showing off a duo motif of pears and butterflies (spot the caterpillar holes in the leaves!) that were hand-painted in house and placed on even more dress variations, some trimmed with glinting floral embroideries or passementerie. When a collection brings joy to its designer, it radiates outward.
19 January 2019
Judging by the scrum to get to Andrew Gn following his show, his Spring collection was a bellwether. Society ladies shoved, security started to sweat, and excited clients could not refrain from jumping in on a reporter’s interview. One started talking social calendar right there, on the spot.Of course, Gn is accustomed to such enthusiasm. Backstage, the designer was as ebullient as the clothes. “Intense, crazy color! Statuesque! Shine! For me, that is the most important thing in the future,” he said.An art lover and collector of beautiful things, Gn always plucks from a memory bank of multiple references. For Spring, that included Veruschka and the strong women associated with the Bloomsbury Group and Russian Constructivism. On the runway, a group of graphic black-and-white dresses nodded to haute Bohemia before quickly segueing into the kind of intricately embellished party dress that has made Gn such a go-to on the society circuit. He then kicked it up a notch with saturated color and lush florals, frissoned-up by halved exotic fruits, some of which seemed to contain stylized peace signs. Elsewhere, he flexed his skills as a colorist, piling jewel tone dresses with still more jewels, as on a periwinkle dress with tiers of stones at collar and cuffs. Paired with colorful python boots, it made for a pretty heady mix. In the final grouping, the sequin work was as smooth as fish scales on a dress that glistened like emeralds.The designer recently observed in the course of a quieter, preshow conversation, “Thinking about what to design for the future keeps me young.” (Not that he’s old, mind you.)There are several ways to parse that comment. Gn is not your garden-variety futurist. He’s more interested in “timelessness” in the sense of “not disposable.” He wants to design dresses women wear and then hand to their daughters. That should give the younger set something to daydream about.
29 September 2018
These days Andrew Gn says his well-heeled clientele has become so diverse that he is increasingly inclined to create collections that propose many different themes in lieu of a single narrative. And by doing trunk shows with greater frequency, he can now directly observe differences from one part of the world to another. “From the Middle East to Asia to the Americas, I’m having to think about every market,” he said from his Marais showroom. “So it’s not just one direction today; it’s really a wide spectrum of directions.”Hence a Resort offering that proved expansive in scope and impressive in execution. As presented in the accompanying photos, the lineup begins with the high-impact black-and-white looks inspired by the period portraits of Diego Velásquez giving way to a sugary frosted lineup of brocade, which is followed by a grouping of denim and decorated shirting, before landing at a blitz of saturated color. Even within this final subset, there are distinct offshoots, from the print of floating daffodils and narcissus to the geometric pattern that Gn said nods to Vienna Secession textiles. You could think of it like his version of the “drop,” only by proposing everything simultaneously he’s counting on each market to self-select what will sell best.Amid all the different ideas was an Andrew Gn constant: his sensitivity to special detailing. Note the old-fashioned Calais lace that gives contouring to crisp poplin shirtdresses and the outward curls of plissé held in place by a coiling black border. As always, his designs are destined for special functions—luncheons, galas, red carpets et al.—and when people are schmoozing in such close proximity, these flourishes will not go unnoticed. This season in particular, though, Gn’s ladylike leitmotif could benefit from a little more everyday dressing. The soaring laced boots are an obvious sign of a certain idealized, slightly fetishized reality. Yet he addresses this exclusive niche with aplomb, putting it best: “There’s always a princess somewhere.”
27 June 2018
A couple of films inspired Andrew Gn’s intentionally seasonless Fall collection, and both star Catherine Deneuve. Released more than a dozen years apart, each had to do with love triangles:Belle de Jour, from 1967 andThe Hunger, from 1983. “I loved the sexual undercurrents in both,” Gn offered. “Both characters look extremely bourgeois, but appearances can be deceiving. Underneath there are dark secrets, this burning desire.” Also, “they’re all so well dressed,” he said. It’s not often you hear a designer connect cult films to a darkness behind smiling emoji as a metaphor for our times.Gn also cherry-picked from his “favorite things in life,” among them fern fronds, 17th-centurypietra dura, and peacock feathers, using those motifs to showcase couture-like craftsmanship. The opening look, a crepe A-line dress with gold thread embroidery and eyelet ruffles, was a case in point, in theBelle de Jourvein. Elsewhere, Gn went for sculpted ruffles, for example on a powder-pink midi dress with peacock-feather appliqué. Further along, a platinum pleated dress had perhaps the most red carpet appeal; its metallic embroidered bustier took untold hours to complete.“I believe that luxury is things done by hand,” Gn said. “In the future, there will be fewer and fewer of them. I believe handiwork is the way to create things that last.” That, and perhaps a new hashtag, #IFeelAGN. Clients and fans posting on Instagram added their own adjectives—sexy,powerful,unstoppable, etc.—before the designer’s initials. Asked for his own, the designer quipped, “I feel again, again and AGN!”
3 March 2018
“Jackie O decides to go to Tokyo to meet the royal Imperial family of Japan and makes a stopover in Kyoto,” is how Andrew Gn summed up his Pre-Fall collection. As incongruous as it sounds, coming from Gn, the narrative made perfect sense. He’s a designer whose flair for glamour has an old-world flavor and a sense of occasion to it. You can really picture Mrs. Onassis wearing one of his concoctions, sipping matcha tea under the cherry blossoms in Kyoto.Japan is a recurring theme for the designer; having been born in Singapore and with a Chinese and Japanese background, his appreciation for Eastern imagery comes unfiltered. “I’m one-third Japanese and two-thirds Chinese, like a mai tai!” he said. If you add a flair for decorative opulence, as well as a rare connoisseur’s eye for antiques, you have an idea of Gn’s elaborate style. “I’m a born maximalist,” he emphasized.So back to Japan. In his Spring collection, the designer referenced the cool vibe that comes from Tokyo’s Harajuku, a neighborhood abuzz with hype and kawaii fashionista teenagers. Here, the young girls seemed to have grown up into sophisticated ladies, feasting on couture-worthy cocktail dresses and divine evening gowns, the more whimsical and quirky the better.Cases in point were sumptuous silk jacquards woven in Lyon, France, whose delicate florals were inspired by kimonos from the Edo period; they translated into small-waisted cocktail dresses, their midi bell skirts so precisely cut they resembled precious pieces of porcelain. In dégradé hues of citrine, eau de Nil, cerulean, and shell pink, they truly looked exquisite. The same delicate palette graced fluid silk tea dresses, printed with floral motifs inspired by Minton porcelain, which was made in Great Britain in the 19th century.Elsewhere in the collection, colors were denser and more saturated, as in a fluid triple-crepe emerald green number with poet sleeves that had a vintage-y Ossie Clark or Bill Gibb feel—what looked like an entire garden of floral appliqués was sprouting on its fitted bodice. Indulging the theme, a single silk cattleya orchid bloomed as a brooch on a languid tiered dress in black-and-white silk jacquard. “Very Anjelica Huston,” Gn said. Indeed.
25 January 2018
Andrew Gn is not just a successful fashion designer—he is also a collector of rare porcelain, antique kimonos, and obi and vintage Kansai Yamamoto sweaters from the 1980s. His curator’s eye is doubtless one of the reasons Gn will serve as the honorary chair at the San Francisco Winter Antiques Show next month. As such, he follows in the footsteps of fashion legends Bill Blass and Oscar de la Renta.Gn, too, is a favorite among socialites but, as he remarked backstage before the show, he doesn’t really consider fashion an uptown/downtown proposition anymore. Of late, he has been incorporating more street influences.An homage to Tokyo and Kyoto, his Spring collection featured message shirts and dresses calligraphedTo-kyo-toorHarajuku, after a buzzy, avant-garde high street in the Japanese capital. Gn recalls discovering the scene in the ’80s: “They’d take their grandmother’s kimonos and wear them with leather trousers, it was sweet, tough, and really fascinating.” Even so, Gn being Gn, he elevated the idea by rendering brushstrokes in black beadwork, pairing it with a bold-hued trench with graphic black trim. Elsewhere, he fringed a black leather mini with grosgrain ribbons and silver buckles.Color and embellishments are Gn’s comfort zone for good reason: As the designer succinctly puts it, “It’s an art thing.” This season, he brought that signature to a swingy tennis dress with floral embroidery to charming effect. Kabuki prints appeared on an oversize shirtdress or a one-sleeved minidress with grosgrain trim. Maple leaf appliqués tumbled over shift dresses and techno-flowers cascaded over a sleeveless maxi-vest in linen.Obviously, Gn consistently looks to his own collections for inspiration. Among his personal treasures are kimonos that once belonged to his Japanese grandmother, and he duly extrapolated some classic motifs like fans and landscape scenes as embroidery or prints on long, tiered dresses and ball gowns. Gn’s fans are going to be spoiled for choice.In one aspect, however, they won’t: The finale, a short pale pink cape covered entirely with handmade silk flowers, was more of a couture piece. Gn has already decided to make it for no more than one woman in each city. Let the jockeying begin.
30 September 2017
As a continuation of his Fall message, Andrew Gn drew from references far and wide, bypassing anything too literal and arriving at looks that were unquestionably luxe. The main development: a bright pastel palette in which icy blue made for a striking counterpoint to black. He introduced his lineup with what he dubbed his Maharaja coat; the version in pink Japanese obi silk featuring gold brocade chrysanthemums and butterflies from a 17th-century kimono, plus cuffs loaded with jeweled detailing, was the type of statement piece that you’d debut for a ceremonial luncheon and then treat more casually over time. Come to think of it, there was little in this collection that didn’t signal a special aspect. Even when Gn showed cargo pants, the linen had been washed three times and hand-fringed like fine upholstery fabric.But the ladylike jackets and cocktail numbers didn’t look expensive simply because of the intricate embroidery. Additional care was taken to precisely align the patterns at their seams and to interpret classic couture fabrics such as tweed with noticeably updated techniques. All of this matters since the women who wear his clothes likely already own any number of his embellished designs. So, alongside the guipure lace blouses, which now constitute Gn’s core offering, he introduced plastrons of pearls and silk ribbons, delightfully calling the strands “fettuccine.” They cascaded whimsically down the kimono sleeves of an otherwise minimalist white gown, and made as striking an impact as the all-over beaded dress in icy blue with its borders of black filigree and feathers.
7 July 2017
Leaving aside their cultural or ethnographic significance, tribes are inherently exclusive; you’re either in or you’re out. The interesting aspect ofAndrew Gn’s Fall concept, Global Tribal, is that it suggested a macro view—allowing him to stir together Central American patterning and Belle Époque artists within one big melting pot of a collection. Better still, Gn’s refinement of the references—highly interpretative, nonliteral—recuses him from the appropriation debate that sometimes gets raised in these cases. The repeated appliqué on the coat that opened the show, for instance, came across as a high-impact graphic first and foremost. The black, puff-sleeved dress beautifully embroidered with two peacocks can be traced to the illustrations of Aubrey Beardsley, but it could just as easily have been Ottoman in origin. Gn pointed out that another geometric motif seemed Scandinavian, despite the fact that it originated from the Copts of Ancient Egypt. Given all these ingredients—and there were others, trust—it’s no wonder the outcome fed the eyes such rich flavor.Which brings us to an irony that Gn likely won’t mind reading: If the premise was all-encompassing, the clothes themselves were exclusive. Whether the limited-edition vintage animal-print jersey that Gn bought at an auction and applied judiciously to the sleeves of a fierce, contoured coat; the Klimt-inspired swirling gold embroidery on a khaki dress with scrolling renaissance sleeves trimmed in mink; or a deluxe black jacket in astrakhan and mink with ostrich-feathered sleeves, the designs put a modern spin on bygone decadence. And the diversity of the looks, Gn pointed out, suits the way women shop today. “Each piece is almost like a curated piece,” he said, noting the challenge of bringing them all together. “A woman today won’t buy five of the same theme; she’ll buy five different things. Commercially, that’s important; but it’s also the world we’re living in.”It’s worth noting that a final grouping of gowns wasn’t created as a statement on cross-cultural imagery, and the two dresses with shell-like, caped shoulders were dramatic on their own merit. But the adventurous looks seemed the way to go this season, especially because not many other designers could make a bishop-sleeved, fringed dress in a sparkly green zebra-stripe jacquard look so naturally chic.
3 March 2017
Andrew Gn can be counted on for collections that give off a cultivated air. His exhaustive knowledge of historical and artistic references means that the clothes are grounded in substance while keeping with his ebullient style. All this applies to his Pre-Fall offering, which began as a study of fashion designer Mariano Fortuny’s surface details before expanding outward to include the early masters of the Italian Renaissance. The first look, arguably the most dramatic, pitches lantern sleeves high onto a brocade vest with 3-D beading; as paired with the ruffle-neck blouse (his update on a Renaissancefraise), the result is an outfit worthy of high court. Several other pieces continue in this deluxe direction, underscoring Gn’s unwavering mind-set that “the whole point is to be exceptional.” But he has the discipline to rein in, too. The back coat paneled in ivory mohair lace, a gold and silver asymmetric poncho accented with fringe, and even a grayscale sweatshirt knit outlined with passementerie present women with wearable items that they don’t already have.The designer also introduced a folkloric grouping with nearly all the detailed prints and vibrant fabrics developed in-house. The finely crafted pieces in crushed velvet with black lattice trim go well beyond boho. The only issue—and it’s a subjective one—is that the themes are slightly at odds; retailers that feel the same may opt to choose one or the other. But such variety works in Gn’s favor as far as gown possibilities, certainly at this time of year. The lacquered-effect green brocade with its iridescent bodice of cut feathers seems like a strong red carpet contender.
23 January 2017
Andrew Gnattracts the type of woman who appreciates visible workmanship, overall polish, and a soupçon of surprise. Although actress ingénues sometimes pick his photogenic gowns for the red carpet, his consistent supporters skew more mature. With this in mind, you understand how Gn’s choice of source material and inspiration—Les Incroyables et Merveilleuses(simply put, a flamboyant, proto-youthquake during the Directoire period of the French Revolution) along with punk codes—was rebellious in its own right. One counter-culture reference would have been shake-up enough, let alone two. But Gn pointed out how these aspects of individual expression were as timeless as the pursuit of beauty.Cue a collection of unexpected creations typified by a dress that married a black lace bodice with a pastel blue full skirt scattered with floral embroidery; or a court coat bordered in pastoral flora paired with a white ruffled-neck blouse and black breeches outlined in metal rivets. The success of this double culture clash was often determined by whether the elements screamed loud or spoke sotto voce. An all-white ensemble in patchwork lace possessed a light historical influence, with a discreet metal zip setting off its pureness. The way Gn used eyelet lace as fringe on a black miniskirt already covered in 3D organza flowers was a brilliant haute punk hack. Conversely, the nuance was lost when dresses that already stood out for their expanses of fine floral threadwork were styled with spiked belts and chain chokers.If Gn found the originality that he was seeking in the Directoire-inspired denim grouping— hand-fringed passementerie; the apex of deliberate distressing—it will be interesting to see how women respond. Someone may find endless ways to enjoy the kick-flare skirt and fitted jacket by never wearing them as a total look, whereas a studded bibbed sweater revealed the novelty of forcing opposites to attract. On balance, though, Gn’s establishment tastes and floral fantasies benefited from an anti-establishment frisson. “Today, there’s no such thing as absolute beauty; there needs to be something off about it,” said the designer, articulating this latest exercise perfectly.
30 September 2016
If a collection could be compared to a passport, thenAndrew Gn’sResort offering would be filled with stamps representing his global medley of source material. He drew from India, Eastern Europe, Central America, and beyond, pointing to the vibrant, reinterpreted patterns as a contemporary patchwork of traditional references. For Gn, this maximalist approach is also a point of pride, since it allows him to push the workmanship. A layer of sequins glazed a miniskirt printed with a psychedelic Mayan motif, while black tweed benefited from both passementerie and embroidery to evoke floral vines on a trellis. A sketched bird whose design could be traced back to Comte de Buffon, an 18th-century French naturalist, appeared as if repainted by the Fauves. On one of several extroverted gowns, a beaded paisley bodice met a crinoline skirt in tapestry-inspired, multicolored fil coupe.Such indiscriminate mixing might ordinarily have the makings of a culture clash, but Gn maintained his characteristic elegance by not overworking his shapes. A slightly puffed shoulder on a classic jacket, zippered slits, and asymmetrical sleeves on some of the pieces that made up a secondary, sportier nautical theme were his furthest points of silhouette departure. Instead, he pointed out how he covers the preferences of all his markets by spanning conservative to coquettish: evening gowns exposing just enough décolleté to short shorts revealing a whole lot of leg. Brushed denim covered in stars and dresses covered in monochromatic flowers embroidered with ceramic-coated thread—the effect very much akin to delicate porcelain—were most anomalous to the rest of the collection. Comparatively speaking, they were restrained.
17 June 2016
Amid all the differing opinions and actions regarding the flaws in the fashion cycle, it’s easy to overlook the time it takes for clothes to be made. This was thrown into sharply embroidered relief atAndrew Gn’s show, where a family portrait of Nicholas II, the last Emperor of Russia, inspired a collection that commanded respect. The procession began with a series of properly tailored military looks featuring just enough ornamentation (black passementerie; tone-on-tone hand braiding) to confirm Gn’s devotion to surface detail. With each successive theme—the imperial, shimmery brocade; the feathered fringes springing from fluid crepe; the uniform elements reimagined as eveningwear—he seemed to make a case against the hard-edged, oddly proportioned, street-fueled fashion that generates all the buzz these days.Gn said backstage that he felt the historical references allowed him permission to explore such rich treatments. Tassels assembled by a specialist in Italy, soutache braiding, appliques of black velvet bordered in beads, and cord embroidery coiled into floral patterns required an Edwardian-style mantle or a modified fin de siècle gown to achieve his desired level of decadence. But in applying any of these elements to a jersey top, knit pullover, or skater skirt, the designer also underscored how far we’ve progressed from the heavy uniforms and floor-grazing silhouettes. To further prove that he didn’t get trapped in the past, vampish knee-high stilettos anchored every look.Giving relevance to a regal aesthetic and its savoir faire is a smart way to attract the right type of clientele, whether a present-day princess or a CEO. In the audience today was Jane Hartley, the United States Ambassador to France. Mid-show, she swiftly fetched a model’s earring that landed on the runway. Supporters don’t come truer than that.
4 March 2016
Andrew Gn’s Marais showroom is always filled with eye-catching creations; his use of lace and deployment of color call out like fashion flares. But no design today trumped the vision of the designer in fine form. After a critical health scare forced him to miss his ready-to-wear show in October, the house kept up appearances that everything would be fine. His presence was proof enough that it is. Then again, Gn, of all people, would not press pause unless given no other choice, so it really wasn’t that surprising to find this pre-collection offering as complete as any from his past. As usual, he showed day-to-night coats trimmed with intricate passementerie and jet beading, and a refreshed array of dresses in luxe pansy-pattern brocades and reissued vintage lace. The season’s print, derived from a Russian decorative motif, played vibrantly against panels of black silk chiffon; its Pop-hued flatness transcended comparisons to a carpet. Speaking of carpets, the grouping of color-blocked lace gowns dreamed up for awards season—or any other occasion—conveyed tasteful shock value. If they also seemed vaguely Victorian inspired, this was Gn’s intention. He used the reference sparingly, though, not going more literal than some romantic off-the-shoulder sheer yokes.Gn dialed down the drama even further with feminine blouses, skirts, and a fur-collared jacket in soft gray wool jersey, which showed sensitivity to the clients who prefer understatement. He even admitted that his ordeal—coupled with society’s shared feeling of unease—had him thinking about this collection as “comfort food,” and that imposing an arbitrary theme as he is oft inclined to do seemed less a priority than making his customers feel good. An objective every bit heartfelt.
23 January 2016
As the lights dimmed to signal the start ofAndrew Gn’s show, an omniscient, accented voice gravely announced that the designer had just undergone unexpected surgery for a heart condition. Despite a promising recovery, he could not be present. “Andrew has worked on this collection until the last moment, with all his passion and determination,” the voice continued. “He hopes you will like it.” Leaving barely a minute to process Gn’s life-threatening episode, the pulsing music began and the show went on, beginning with dynamic daywear inspired by getaways to the north of France and ending with sumptuously embellished gowns based on a Chinese imperial porcelain bowl Gn inherited from his parents.Delineating the collection into two seemingly disparate parts confirmed that Gn is creatively ambidextrous, and clearly enjoys the freedom to propose sharp and soft in a single offering. The latter resituated the butterflies and peonies from his family heirloom against vibrant backgrounds, like a Pop Art homage to chinoiserie. While the butterflies were as detailed as any of the specimens on display at Deyrolle, the embroideries and multicolored stones turned pretty dresses into collector pieces. Waxing rhapsodic about surface treatments feels strange given the circumstances. Fashion may course through Gn’s veins—he’d sooner be inspired by the idea of a vacation than take one—but health comes before all else. So Andrew, we wish you a smooth and speedy recovery. And rest assured, we liked it.
2 October 2015
Of all the diverse subjects Andrew Gn has tapped for inspiration—robots, the Wiener Werkstätte, Ossie Clark,Belle de Jour—he invariably defaults to flowers. This isn't a bad thing, especially since he consistently makes them seem fresh. While he named his Resort collection Persian Garden, he didn't need to travel far for his motif; he simply interpreted an authentic antique vase in his home. From his Marais showroom, Gn enthusiastically listed the blooms—hyacinths, marigolds, tulips, digitalis, and carnations—represented in the stylized array. But like any gardener who must give his flowers a stage, the designer planted his within beautiful fabrications: woven and reembroidered onto a linen shift, micro-beaded onto the bustier of a gown, rendered in precise clusters of square sequins. The applications were myriad, but they were always at their most modern when set against backdrops of natural linen, ivory, or black—and even more so when occasionally enhanced with sporty red trim.Gn branched out beyond the flowers with a day-to-night grouping that pulsed with the coral and turquoise of Malhia Kent's tweed, plus complementary matte beadwork on bibs and sleeves. He also explored a pattern of guipure lace ovals, which he charmingly dubbed "coffee beans." Like embellished polka dots, they livened up versatile dresses and car coats in seasonless silk and sturdy cotton piqué. Yet for all the newness, he made as much of an impression with the pieces that constitute his core category. His application of zigzag eyelet and French lace, all in sharp black and white, spanned from ingenue (short shorts) to executive (zip-front jacket). With 55 looks, he could have pruned the space in between. But then with Gn, abundance feels natural.
30 June 2015
Barring a nuclear winter, it's tough to imagine an old-money family desperate enough to tear up the palazzo upholsteries for the sake of a new wardrobe (although they'd sooner forgo the private jet than sell the Canaletto). If the tale spun by Andrew Gn as context for his sumptuous Fall collection seemed implausible, then the idea of reworking heirloom textiles conveyed the same principle, minus the panic.Gn opened his show with a gray flannel cape fronted in undulations of passementerie, hand-knotted fringe trim, and Mongolian fur around the collar; each of these embellishments recurred frequently throughout the collection as decorative devices that added volume and movement. But the jacket with its flat woven panels meant to mimic astrakhan was just as dynamic. As the show transitioned from a predominantly black palette into deep jewel tones, the accents became more distinctive: sleeves amplified with fins of organza, shoulders caped with sequined plumes, and décolletage that glimmered with floral beading.But Gn reached peak theme with a final grouping of silk satin sheaths with cocoon coats—only they weren't nearly that simple. The former featured enlarged appliqués of callas, gingko leaves, and peonies, as if lifted from salon wallpaper; the latter's traditional kilim and tapestry patterning resulted from a complex array of microsuede sequins. PartGrey Gardens, part Art Deco Dreamcoat, those eccentric pairings may prove too gutsy for Gn's mature clientele, whose comfort zone would max out with the black suiting, bordered in fringe. Alternately, Solange Knowles, who slipped in last-minute, could end up working his oversize hand-knit cashmere sweaters and velvet-patched mohair coats like nobody's business.
6 March 2015
Until now, tapestry has never figured into Andrew Gn's collections, perhaps because he worried the result would thwart his feminine silhouettes: No woman wants to get wrapped in a rug. But in his ongoing pursuit of sumptuous surface detail, Gn arrived at Clerici, an artisanal Milanesetappezziere,and the polychrome items it produced brought even more richness to his repertoire. To customize the tapestry further, he added embroidery in Fair Isle patterning, fringed trim, and, for the gowns, square sequins that mirrored the weaving. You'd think this would have been enough to quell the designer's decorative desires, but Byzantine-inspired brocade and duchesse satin tiled with Persian carnations gave the impression that he was preparing a royal trousseau. So, naturally, it was funny to hear him describe the collection as folkloric and comfy—although he was obviously referring to the comparatively unadorned peasant blouses trimmed with lace and the passementerie sweater coats ringed with curly Mongolian lamb's fur. And Gn did seem aware that some women prefer such richness in moderation, so he offset the more elaborate pieces with fluted knee-length "cocktail" pants and bell skirts (the latter, when paired with A-line suit jackets, yielded a swingy double-bell silhouette). He also revisited his best sellers—short shorts and sleeveless shifts—this time in jewel tones or with limited stone embellishment.Some designers show extra-large pre-collections, while others prefer an edited taste of what's to come; if you haven't already guessed, Gn went with the former, and the offering could have been scaled back somewhat. He explained that clients often request looks from the photos they see. And those customers obviously know that his ideas flow generously.
25 January 2015
Anyone who has ever visited Giverny, where Monet lived and painted his legendary water lily masterpieces, will probably agree that there is something disjointing about its realness. You are forced to imagine how the artist arrived at his impressions. Today, Andrew Gn proposed his own impression of the paintings, while incorporating graphic influences from Asia (his heritage) and Memphis (the 1980s design movement, not the American city) to produce a collection that was, well, impressive.Gn opened with a black-and-white wrap coat, its pockets and belt demarcated by topstitching, showing guests something stark before swinging around to his big reveal of color. This was followed by some expressions of asymmetry, in above-the-knee dresses and skirts, before the Memphis theme was introduced via a fil coupe short-sleeve dress with snakeskin appliqués. By the time the first glimpse of Monet arrived, Gn had already breezed through a flirtation with Fauvism as well as two graceful gowns enlivened by neon cherry blossoms and accented with enamel flower appliqués. And if water lilies avoided appearing derivative, it was because they were actually painted in the studio and modified digitally. Obi-style belts lent continuity to an overwhelming number of print variations, including ikebana florals, but occasionally they disrupted the free spirit of Gn's already flattering silhouettes, or else they overpowered the fineness of his prints.Gn explained backstage that he doesn't typically gravitate toward allover beading, yet rendering Giverny with couture-level workmanship was his ultimate way of paying respect. And to watch the strands swish back and forth on the sleeves of Gn's final dresses left a lasting impression that conjured the rippling of that famous pond.
26 September 2014
After working through modern art and robots in recent collections, Andrew Gn felt ready for something fresh and familiar: flowers. And they were very pretty flowers at that, blossoming off bodices as dimensional guipure lace appliqués and rendered in lush brocade. He referred to the collection as his English garden—and even flower novices could pick out the pansies and hydrangea amid the Impressionist palettes. Gn separated out the strongest colors—namely, Kelly green, aqua, crimson, and citron—and showed them as easy-chic blouses and skirts, smartly betting that florals aren't every woman's cup of tea. But because he married the motifs with pastel-flecked, polychrome tweed (as usual, from Malhia Kent) or hedged in the blooms with black borders, they remained mostly tamed.Indeed, Gn realizes that there will always be a ready need for black and white, and in stripping the color, he drew the eye to asymmetrical placements of lace directly along hemlines, and used hot pants and city shorts as a natural balance for the fluid, vaguely petal-shaped tops. Waists were often defined by bows as if—perhaps too literally—he'd gathered his flowers into bouquets. And Gn did manage to let them grow wild across a full-length, full-skirted gown or two. Whether your eye delights at these creations will depend on whether you are a maximalist with a soft spot for the Belle Époque or a minimalist who prefers ease of movement. As any André Le Nôtre or William Kent enthusiast will agree, garden styles are deeply subjective.
26 June 2014
Robots at Andrew Gn? It was an unlikely sight from a designer who caters to a ladylike crowd. Gn said he went with his instincts this season; he's been watching a lot of Japanese manga and grooving on the art of Yayoi Kusama. But even appliquéd in python and lace, the robots were out of sync with his other signatures. He was definitely pushing at the boundaries of his uptown aesthetic here—there was a lot more sheer than you usually get from him, for example—but happily the other parts of the collection weren't quite so far out. Longtime clients will recognize his ornate surfaces, even if this time he chose polished metal grommets for embellishments instead of more familiar beads and crystals. And with below-the-knee plissé skirts turning up on other runways for Fall, they'll appreciate Gn's versions. Another positive: his striking color combinations—baroque scrolls of royal blue appliquéd on the deep green of a wool crepe coat, Indian pink on the gray flannel of a sheath dress, and apple green embroideries on an aubergine silk blouse. A clever stylist could help Gn channel his better instincts. He's long avoided working with one, but especially now that he seems intent on breaking out of his own mold, he should reconsider hiring one next season.
1 March 2014
Andrew Gn's name has been coming up more and more on the red carpets these days. Julianna Margulies struck the right note in a full-skirted black dress by the designer at the Golden Globes that made subtle use of gold embroidery at the shoulders and hem. Embroideries are a house specialty; it wouldn't be a Gn collection without them. His news for Pre-Fall was silhouette. The first was short and fitted, the second long and slightly flared. Of the two, the latter was more compelling. Midi skirts are looking right this season, and the belted safari jackets he paired them with were proportionally well-matched. The charcoal flannel suit, its skirt boasting a deep, seamed leather hem, looked especially smart. It was also nice to see Gn experiment with the more relaxed attitude of a zip-neck sweater and an appliquéd, below-the-knee skirt. That new mood carried over into a lovely two-piece evening look that combined an embellished poet sleeve blouse with a to-the-floor skirt. Among the gowns, the one that might catch a nominee's eye came in strapless, peplumed citrine brocade, its tiny waistline stitched in milky, iridescent stones.
23 January 2014
Andrew Gn is an avid furniture collector. His Paris home is filled to bursting with seventeenth-, eighteenth-, and nineteenth-century antiques. Which is why he's started over and is stocking a new place with treasures from the twentieth century. They were the genesis for his collection today, which marked a turning point in his career. Gn hasn't become a minimalist overnight, but there was definitely a new sensibility here. The best way to describe it is, well, modern. Gio Ponti, Carlo Mollino, Fernand Léger, Georges Braque, Pablo Picasso, Peter Doig—Gn name-checked them all, and their work came into play in various ways. "I always say, if you cannot have it on your wall, you can wear it on yourself," he remarked backstage. For most of the collection, that was an apt explanation. Where once Gn would've embroidered the hem of a coat with passementerie or jet beading, here he trimmed it in a black and white façade print. And when he did opt to use appliqué, it was whip snake cut into Ponti-inspired geometric shapes. Lace lost its saccharine sweetness, designed as it was in a subtle python pattern overlaid on jewel-tone silk mikado dresses, while wood-grain prints, which Gn used for slim asymmetric skirts, looked cool. In the case of a cubist violin print lifted from Léger and planted in the center of silk blouses or a shift dress, Gn might've taken his idea too far. But Braque's doves felt true to the designer's aesthetic, especially embroidered in gold on an evening column in black crepe that fell from knee to hem in mousseline pleats. Those modern masters are a renewable resource.
28 September 2013
"Couture" kept coming up again and again as Andrew Gn singled out various pieces from his Resort collection, showing off the workmanship and level of detail. It's true; hand-beaded coral motifs, garlands of black and white miniature leather daisies, and guipure lace cutouts aren't the stuff of street-fashion brands. They're the reason why Gn attracts such an upscale, global clientele. But there was something especially fresh about some of his looks this time around: a sporty counterpoint that mixed well with his First Lady polish (Hillary Clinton is a fan). It was visible in the athletic-style grosgrain stripes on embellished silk jerseys and white piqué inserts on plackets and shoulders. Those guipure lace cutouts appeared in relief on a pair of short shorts—no preciousness there.Gn has a healthy obsession with fabric, specifying organdy instead of organza for its stiff sheerness, using Mikado silk to give a beaded limeade caftan more form, and ordering an exclusive dégradé papery tweed from Mahlia Kent (its transition from orange to gold to black evoked city lights shimmering on a harbor). He said he made the very literal association of Resort with getaway to arrive at the coral brocade that appeared on a dress coat and evening dress alike. And yet these are hardly vacation togs—good luck packing all those beaded-bodice crinoline gowns. They numbered at least a dozen, which registered as a few too many. Then again, a high-profile client could probably buy the whole lot for the price of a couture jacket.
1 July 2013
Andrew Gn launched his new handbag collection on the runway today. Luxuriously made with box calf leather (the kind used by Hermès back in the day, he said) and semiprecious stones like amethyst and tiger's eye, the bags had a clean, graphic look that complemented the clothes, which were inspired by the Wiener Werkstätte and England's Arts and Crafts movement.It's a time period Gn has referenced before, but, as he said backstage, "I'm older; I see it differently now." Today, more so than before, his cuts and silhouettes were restrained. The brightly hued silk blouses and A-line miniskirts, and occasional black and white shift dresses, made simple canvases for rich surface treatments like velvet embroideries in patterns lifted from the artist Koloman Moser, or quilting techniques in motifs borrowed from Josef Hoffmann. Like other designers this season, Gn lavished extra attention on coats—lavishbeing the operative word in the cases of a black cashmere cocoon with scrolling leather appliqué, and another in Prince of Wales check with patent and chenille passementerie trimming its edges. That one got special attention from the buyers in the room. Gn's show went on too long, and he could have said more with less, but there are no other complaints here.
2 March 2013
Kate Middleton and her stylist should make a close study of Andrew Gn's latest collection. Inspired by a stack of oldLifemagazines he picked up at Les Puces earlier this year, he called the collection, "Queen Elizabeth II visiting India with a stopover in Japan." But it looked less like QEII circa the early sixties than it did the Duchess of Cambridge today: the delicate silk blouses with the well-fitting pencil skirts; the slim, body-limning sheaths with the drama at the neckline. A white dress with black silk embroidered feathers was especially striking.This was Gn at his most assured. The designer has never used a stylist, preferring to do the work of editing his collections himself. In truth, he could've culled more than a few looks from this lineup, but it was nonetheless his strongest in seasons. India and the Orient made appearances via his lavish use of embroideries, the Mughal neckline of a full-skirted party dress, and deep, saturated colors, too. The indigo blue of a ball gown with a deep-slit neckline lingers in the memory, but the real evening standouts were the duchesse satin dresses in un-colors like Tahitian pearl and Clair de Lune, embellished with clusters of opal and quartz crystals. For Middleton's next gala, perhaps?
29 September 2012
Andrew Gn has seen the light. After a Fall season of brooding, almost gothic looks, he embraced color for Resort. Instead of velvets, there were shimmering brocades; in place of the jet embroidery we'd been seeing from him, there were faux pearls; and rather than black for evening, he showed vivid colors. "After you've gone through a dark time, you want something cheerful. It's only natural," he said. An old Jacques Tati movie,Mon Oncle, got him thinking along vaguely midcentury lines. Cristobal Balenciaga volumes turned up on the sleeves of bright faille gowns and silk mikado blouses, and suit jackets had the master's familiar egglike shapes. The silvery pink brocade he used for those skirtsuits had a vintage quality, as did the faded damask print of a belted shift dress with embroidered stones around the neckline. Gn is in expansion mode, with two new boutiques soon in the works in Saudi Arabia. They should open later this year, around the time this strong collection is ready to hit stores.
28 June 2012
The Victorian era has been getting a lot of attention on the Paris runways. Andrew Gn is the latest designer to give dark romance a go. He opened with a narrow, streamlined navy coat, trimmed on the shoulders and the front placket with black mink. It had a faintly military look about it. The silhouette made reappearances throughout the show, turning up with tiny leather leaves embroidered on the shoulders and sleeves and again in black velvet with patent leather zigzagging down the front and around the cuffs. Those coats were the most understated part of the collection.Gn loves it luxe, and his chosen Victorian motif gave him carte blanche to pile on the jet beads and other embroideries. At times you wanted him to scale back—lose the fishnets, say, or the black lace chokers. A couple of the evening gowns looked too period with their black ribbon lacings. Another dress with elaborate beadwork tracing the torso was too gothic.That said, though, there were charmers in addition to that first coat. The white blouse with chiffon latticework around the shoulders that accompanied a flippy black skirt had a modern look about it, as did a stretch jersey black dress with hand-cut and -appliquéd lace above the bust and on the sleeves.
3 March 2012
Our review will be posted shortly. See the complete collection by clicking the image at left.
2 February 2012
Embroidery is Andrew Gn's middle name. For pre-fall, he came up with a lovely one, stitching cultured pearls into clusters so they resembled lily of the valley blooms. The effect looked charming on three-quarter-sleeve cocoon coats in charcoal and camel with black leather piping, but the contrast of the creamy white pearls against the brick-red skirt of a little dress really grabbed your attention. Black lace was also in abundance here. As far as materials go, it's a little more predictable than those pearls, but it was no less riveting when it embellished an optic white blouse or a fuchsia bolero. The third decorative element at work in the collection was bows, something he probably absorbed from Hedi Slimane's Saint Laurent debut. Gn has scored a bunch of red-carpet coups of late. Emma Stone has been spotted in his little frocks on more than one occasion. The bronze sequins and beads on his sleeveless sixties-ish shift would make a nice complement to her fiery hair.
27 January 2012
"What would happen if Madame de Pompadour met Madame Butterfly?" That was the question Andrew Gn asked himself for Spring. He answered it with a collection that married the opulence of eighteenth-century rococo with the construction of Japanese kimonos. It was a return to lavish form after the more ascetic (relatively speaking, of course) show of jackets and pants he did for Fall. Necklines were ornately beaded or accented with origamilike folds, squared-off sleeves were laboriously handworked, and skirts blossomed beneath wide belts. But the real story was the fabrics. Gn had many of them woven specially for the show.Among the most interesting: a black and silver silk damask and microfiber material that happens to be completely waterproof. The strapless cocktail dress made from the stuff could take a midnight dip in a pool and come out unscathed. The other eye-catcher was a shimmering floral in shades of violet and gold modeled after an eighteenth-century kimono fabric that was itself inspired by the wallpaper at Versailles circa Louis XV.Gn has been doing wedding dresses for private clients—"I'm not Vera Wang yet," he joked—so he finished the show with two white gowns. We can picture a bride saying "I do" to the one-shoulder hand-plisséd number with the burnished gold micro sequins at the waist.
1 October 2011
"Cruise is a moment to give everyone what they want," said Andrew Gn during a busy day of buying appointments at his Marais salon. Judging by the collection, his customers must've been clamoring for the luxe extras—the beads, the embroideries, the sequins—that he abandoned on his Fall runway in favor of a more streamlined approach. They were all back and then some this season, with haute boho results. A sleeveless shift in oversize blue tweed with wood bead-embellished patch pockets stood out, as did a red and orange ikat print coat with hand-crocheted beaded trim. A white eyelet dress was less bold but perhaps more striking thanks to its sexy hourglass cut. For evening, he amped up the glitz. The freshest after-dark option was a turquoise mini-caftan with starburst beading at the neckline.
28 June 2011
Last season's long-skirted hippies deluxe may have been a leap too far for Andrew Gn and his blue-chip clients. For Fall, he returned to more familiar territory, finding inspiration in the work of the twentieth-century architects and interior designers Pierre Chareau and Eileen Gray. What he came up with was essentially a collection of shirts, jackets, and coats, with simple leather pants or jersey leggings acting as an easel upon which his canvases, with all of their flourishes, could be displayed.By flourishes we mean the hand-pleated, fan-shaped collar of a triple organza blouse that grazed the model's chin; the neckline of a plissé tulle top embroidered with a bib of tonal crystals; and the asymmetrical lapels of a jacket, one side swathed in fox, the other picked out in jet. A pair of black day dresses got the same kind of treatment. They were the picture of restraint, except for their Art Deco necklines.Evening was a similar story—beaded bodices with metallic or jewel-tone silk falling in orderly pleats to the floor. There's no faulting Gn's exquisite fabrics or couture-level techniques, but as rich as it was in that sense, the focus on the upper half of the body made this show feel repetitive. It would've been nice to see Gn apply his robust imagination to skirts, pants, and a cocktail frock or two.
5 March 2011
Ossie Clark and Jean Muir were Andrew Gn's influences this season. It made for a very timely turn away from the short skirts he's done for years. In their place: flowing dresses and flaring, full trousers worn with tunics and longer belted jackets. Gn's aesthetic, of course, is more haute than hippie. It's doubtful those 1970's designers ever worked with such fine printed silks and crepes, and their clients likely never encountered the kind of private shopping experience Gn can now give his devotees in his newly opened Marais salon.The show began with a group of white dresses, tiers of ruffled dotted cotton and lace grazing the tops of the models' Christian Louboutin cork platform sandals. Next came tailoring in vibrant paisleys or linen, dressed up with eyelet not only on the bell sleeves of jackets but also on some trousers. If it sounds rich, there were actually quite a lot fewer embellishments than usual. The real stars of the show were the triple crepe dresses in rich jewel tones, from a swingy midi-length halter dress in jade to an amethyst maxi with elaborate openwork on its sleeves. From the way that his haute couture-collecting fan Tatiana Sorokko clapped at the end, it was obvious that she, for one, was looking forward to getting in touch with her boho side.
2 October 2010
The return of minimalism may be setting the agenda elsewhere, but you didn't expect Andrew Gn to abandon his signature embellishments, did you? Inspired by a Louis XV commode in his Paris apartment, part of his collection of antique furniture, and a Montesquieu book,Lettres Persanes, Gn's Fall collection had an eighteenth-century look, albeit with a twenty-first-century spin. He called it "modern rococo."The rococo element came through in the form of narrow jackets with stand-up collars and double rows of silver buttons marching up the front. It was also present in a re-embroidered cut velvet coat with passementerie trimming at the cuffs and in a bustier gown made in a re-edition of a vibrant teal and violet floralvelour de sable. Then there was all the embroidered leather scrollwork at the necklines of dresses and shoulders of coats, the oversize silver belt buckles, the densely beaded belts. As for the modern touches? Those included Gn's technical fabrics and innovative techniques—a microfiber satin that resists wrinkles for a ruffled lapel, and leather smocking trimming the edge of a cropped jacket. But the most obvious twenty-first-century element was the ultrashort length of the ruched jersey cocktail dresses. All that leg, not to mention the cutouts under the bust, would surely have made a lady of the court blush.If those looked like tough sells with the designer's own ladylike clientele, there were plenty of other frills to seduce his customers in a collection that mostly stayed within their—and Gn's—comfort zone.
6 March 2010
"There's no big theme, nothing intellectual, but I am pronouncing the end of this bloody recession," Andrew Gn said backstage, pointing out that sell-throughs in the States have been up since Labor Day. Fortified by that little bit of good news, he sent out a Spring collection with as many lavish embellishments as ever. There was no scaling down here, or in the client-heavy crowd. The only thing that rivaled the colorful gems and metallic embroidery on the runway was the bling on Gn's socialite customers in the front row.Jeweled embellishments accenting the waist or the shoulders were the through-line of a collection that embraced everything from white guipure lace and organza tops (youthful with a pair of silk faille shorts) to a sleek black moiré le smoking (less louche than the YSL original, but still sexy). Slender sheaths in "patio prints" based on upholstery fabric from the fifties and sixties should appeal to the designer's artier fans, while the gowns in notice-me shades of violet, teal, and jade were no doubt made with his party girls in mind. There was an almost random, something-for-everyone quality to this unrepentantly luxe show. These days, though, that's probably smart business for a small brand like Gn's.
3 October 2009
Andrew Gn traded in the lush, tropical colors of his Spring show for a more subdued Fall lineup of black, white, and herringbone tweed, with shots of teal, bronze, and bottle green. Last season's gold-bullion embroidery and gobstopper-size crystal and gem embellishments have been downsized, too—replaced by less flashy surface detailing: trims of patent leather, snake, or (in his made-to-measure Atelier line) mock croc. These appeared on the neckline of a red cocktail dress, at the waistband of cropped and tapered pants, at the edges of geometric cutouts on silk blouses, and on the toggle closures of slim-line coats.If some of Gn's more tony ladies are forced by his new restraint to look elsewhere for their trifles, his daywear's dark and moody vibe is likely to win him some hip new customers. It will probably prove a savvy move to have dialed down the before-dark glitz in a collection he dubbed "utility couture."Evening was another story, however. His floor-length columns came with jewels nestled into their necklines or perched on one shoulder. The best was a chiffon number with hand-stitched organza bell sleeves and iridescent crystal embroidery inspired by thirties Cartier jewelry. Gn knows that the only utility in a gown is its ability to turn heads.
7 March 2009
Let other designers chase after the dwindling disposable income of the merely rich. Andrew Gn has set his sights on the superrich. In an odd bit of timing, the Singapore-born, Paris-based designer today debuted his made-to-measure Atelier line: 18 limited-edition outfits boasting lavish couture-grade handwork that start at $15,000 each. If America's financial turmoil had him worried, he wasn't showing it. Anyway, there's always Russia, China, and the Middle East.India—the Helena Rubinstein version—was the inspiration for the collection. After a rather sober Fall, he laid on the color: canary yellow, violet, coral, azure, peony, and emerald green. Gobstopper-size crystals—too many of them to count—decorated necklines, waistbands, and hems. Gn's burgeoning costume-jewelry collection got big play, too. The models wore bib necklaces or big drop earrings and matching cuffs on each wrist. It sounds like an eyeful, but it all worked, especially the floaty paisley silk dresses. Gn doesn't specialize in understatement, but there was some to be found, if you were looking, in a black belted jersey tunic dress with golden metal embroidery at the neck and (it's all relative) the beautiful strapless brocade gown that closed the show.
30 September 2008
At least two things were different.First, where were the skirts? Andrew Gn is a leg man, but instead of the above-the-knee styles and pencil numbers his clients love him for, he stuck mostly to pants. And great ones, too, in the softest cashmere—cropped with a row of buttons rising from the ankle to mid-calf, or straight and leg-lengthening with a raised waist and the tiniest flare.Second, what happened to the colors and prints and, for that matter, embroideries—all hallmarks of this seven-year-old house? The flash factor had definitely been taken down a notch or two.Well, Gn's dark, sophisticated new palette aligned nicely with the Paris season. So, too, did his now more understated embellishments, like the basket-weave detailing at the collar and cuffs of a cashmere redingote, the hand-finished organza yoke of a high-necked silk blouse, and the braided waistband of a satin cocktail dress.The real question, of course, is whether or not the designer's high-flying fan club will take to the edgier, less overtly feminine look. Considering that the clothes—even the youngest-looking silk satin dresses with the tented backs—were every bit as couture as they've been in the past, we'd say the odds are in his favor.
26 February 2008
Some designers chase after cool; others are content to let the ladies come to them. And come they do to the Paris house of Andrew Gn. Inspired, he said, by the complete volumes of Buffon'sHistoire Naturelle, he looked to flora and fauna to provide the luxe decorative motifs for his lunch suits, short cocktail numbers, and hostess gowns. White patent-leather butterfly appliqués appeared on a black linen dress with kimono sleeves, and embroidered black roses decorated a white linen coat with a Watteau back. The lilacs on an A-line coat-dress were so densely embroidered, they were a better-than-fair representation of the real three-dimensional thing. Such couture-grade handwork obviously doesn't come cheap, but then, his clients have deep pockets—and no inclination to hide the fact.But it wasn't all embellishment all the time. Gn showed a new restraint in colorful silk dresses with little to distract from the flirtatious cut except frills of pleats around the armholes or lining the deep V-necks. Even more elegantly streamlined were the flowing one-shouldered silk dresses (one to the knee, the other floor length, both with floating back panels) that each came with a single black bow at the clavicle. The finale gown, white silk with long puffy sleeves and a black rose corsage at the cleavage, would make a lovely wedding dress. Looks like a new generation might come knocking.
2 October 2007
With Marisa Berenson sitting front-row in a red, rock-crystal-strewn Andrew Gn linen coat, the designer sent out looks extravagant even by his own lavish standards—a Fall collection that¿s sure to send Berenson and the rest of his loyal ladies rushing to his private atelier.Inspired by the early twentieth-century architect Josef Hoffmann and the interior designer Armand-Albert Rateau, the clothes had a Belle Époque opulence and a twenties shape—witness the feather-dusted frayed-organza capelets, the satin tunics and drop-waist numbers with jeweled necklines, and a bubble dress embroidered with fringes of gold chain.The couture details came fast and furious: velvet passementerie on a kimono coat, a Byzantine jewel closure on a cardigan (to match the model¿s drop earrings), and tiny pheasant-feather collars on tweeds. There were bags, too: minaudières and exotic skins that the designer is launching in collaboration with Judith Leiber. And there were 12-ply funnel-neck cashmere sweaters, anything but understated.It¿s a matter of course that Gn, a lover of excess, should have a tough time paring down the looks in his show, but—for all but his most faithful fans—a briefer lineup would make for a bigger impact.
27 February 2007
It's not hard to imagine the social schedule of the woman who'll snap up the rock crystal-strewn white linen trench or black linen sheath Andrew Gn showed for spring. Lunch at BG, dinner at Le Bernardin, box seats at the opera, season tickets to the ballet. Gn designs for a customer who likes her clothes as precious as her jewels—and doesn't have cause to worry about the dry-cleaning bills. Nary a collar, hem, or cuff came unembellished, and this season, even button closures got the royal treatment.Working in black, white, beige, and metallics, Gn kept the show's silhouette short and narrow. Perhaps the richest offering was the coat cut from a silver silk brocade made to resemble crocodile skin. But he also added python to his repertoire, trimming the puffed sleeves of a bolero in the stuff or using it as the basis for an anthracite abstract silk print.It's a rarefied world Gn calls home, and to be sure, this show felt repetitive near the end, as one short ombré-beaded skirt came out after another. Don't his ladies have occasion to wear pants? Elsewhere, though, he had his eye sensibly on growth. A one-shouldered cocktail number with a silver sequined serpent coiling from the asymmetrical neckline to the waist should get the youth vote.
3 October 2006
Andrew Gn designs for a rarefied customer, the kind who prefers her jet crystals to be of a 1950's or '60's vintage, and is willing to pay for the privilege. In addition to those chandelier-size baubles, which decorated the necklines of four-ply cashmere sweaters, the Singapore-born designer sourced antique laces that appeared as trim on skirtsuits and as insets on silk camisoles. "There was no holding back," Gn acknowledged backstage. Observe, for instance, a baby-pink cashmere coat with swirls of black silk cord at the hem and a chin-grazing collar of white fox. In a season when the buzzwords include monasticism, rigor, and restraint, some of his more heavily embellished pieces came off as doubly extravagant.But if the jet teardrops shimmying on a silk tulle evening coat ran counter to the current trend, you couldn't quibble with Gn's construction. There was a couture-like finish to the slightly puffed sleeves and peplum hem of a checked jacket, and a youthful fit to a tweed blazer with three-quarter-length sleeves. For evening, he revisited the tiered dresses he did for spring, but in fall's more subtle color palette: white, blush, a quiet printed check. And perhaps mindful that his gowns' high prices can prove a stumbling block to aspiring clients of the young or not-so-young variety, Gn introduced another new twist this season: a costume-jewelry collection.
28 February 2006
Over the course of four years in business, Andrew Gn has built himself a coterie of Upper East Side fans who keep his rich-looking coats, with their demi-couture details, flying out of Bergdorf and Bendel. Given the new direction evident in his spring collection, though, it looks like Gn has the potential to make the leap downtown—embracing the girls who are bar-hopping at the Stanton Social, as well as those who are lunching at Le Bilboquet.This season, the designer's signature coats came in black and white gabardine and crepe, sumptuously embellished with waistbands of glass beads or lace edging, while sportier versions were cut in silk toile and decorated with bohemian (by Gn's standards, at least) wooden beads. Since this is spring, he also showed off-the-shoulder smocked tops in cotton piqué or floral-print silk. For evening, patchworks of those floral prints fell in tiers to the floor, in keeping with one of the season's big trends—although the same silhouette looked more modern in a striking emerald-green chiffon.Which brings us to the point. Gn's sexy new shoes, which made their runway debut, are proof that he has what it takes to connect with a younger generation. Now all he needs is to lose the prim styling—and lengthen his too-short skirts to the knee—and he'll be as popular below 14th Street as he is on Park Avenue.
4 October 2005
"For me, spring/summer is always about happy, merry clothes," said Andrew Gn, practically an understatement given the powerful, punchy prints—polka dots and blossoms galore—that bloomed large throughout his collection.Out trooped his ladies, à la Catherine Deneuve inBelle de Jour—all shades and chignons, patent heels and lashings of scarlet lipstick—to the sound of Annie Lennox belting out: "I was born an original sinner." Things started out prim with polite cotton coat-dresses, their seams traced with ribbon, then got naughtier thanks to pleated minidresses in red, lilac, sunflower yellow, and coral. But Gn really hit his stride with outfits that combined his exceptional sense of print, color, and decoration. A red polka-dot shirt, say, was worn with a circle skirt (fast becomingthepiece of the season) boasting great bunches of hydrangeas; there were silk jackets bursting with roses, ruffled shirts dappled with daisies, and jackets that buttoned with fluttering poppies.Spectacular crystal and glass creations by famed costume jeweler Robert Goossens contributed to the already vibrant mix: glossy belts, dramatic bracelets, and necklaces holding up pretty halterneck dresses. Wear Gn to a summer garden party? Absolutely—if you want to see heads swivel in your direction.
6 October 2003