Chromat (Q2779)
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fashion label
| Language | Label | Description | Also known as |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | Chromat |
fashion label |
Statements
Chromat took their runway show to the people this season. Instead of showing at an invite-only spot in Manhattan, Chromat went to Jacob Riis Beach, and strutted the collection of red bathing suits made in collaboration with director Tourmaline down the boardwalk. It was a celebration of queer bodies at a historic queer beach, on a beautiful late summer day, no less.“Tourmaline was like, ‘I want to make swimwear for girls who don’t tuck,’” designer Becca McCharen-Tran said. “We’ve been getting DM’s for years like, ‘I’m trans-femme and so what do you recommend for bottoms?’ We went through the entire line of Chromat swim and Tourmaline tried everything on to say, ‘change this, change that.’” Each of the pieces were red, a reference to lifeguards, safety, and protection. They created a range of coverage options, from a skirt to a thong, and McCharen-Tran paid attention to details like offering wider gussets or creating bottoms with more volume to fit a wider range of bodies. Some of the models had flowers in their hair, and many had bold blush on their cheeks and around their eyes.Back in Manhattan, at Tourmaline’s studio, a photo of activist Marsha P. Johnson was pinned to a moodboard for the makeup looks. It was, in a word, celebratory. Riis was the perfect setting, with passersby whooping as each of the models paraded past in their swimwear. “[Riis] is a place we get to show up, show out, and really be ourselves,” Tourmaline said. “What better place to say that all of us belong in really fab swimwear?”
13 September 2021
For some people, going to the gym on a Sunday night would be a nightmare. But for Chromat designer Becca McCharen-Tran, there’s nowhere she’d rather be. In the basement FiDi Rise gym, McCharen-Tran had brought together all of her friends and models for a series of workout classes wearing her new fall 2020 collection. One group alternated between floor exercises and stretches. In another room, models warmed up for a dance routine—but more on that later. The garments worn by Femita Ayanbeku, Carmen Carrera, West Dakota, and the rest of Chromat’s cool crew were riffs on traditional Olympicwear, cast in the groovy sea blue and tangerine palette Chromat has made its signature. The crop tops, briefs, shorts, and leggings were, more than in any other Chromat show of late, pointedly workout clothes with the body-conscious lines and shapes to complement their function. No dresses and no fuss present.After a series of workout reps, the models disappeared into another room. “You can follow them in if you want,” an attendant suggested. Would be wise if you did. Inside, the models who had been warming up were performing an intense dance routine while TVs played a montage of athletes who had been disqualified from sporting events because of gender testing. Dutee Chand appeared onscreen briefly, retelling her story of being barred from participating in track and field events due to her hyperandrogenism, while models danced to Lizzo and Missy Elliott’s “Tempo” on the floor. Earlier in New York Fashion Week, massive activewear brands arrived in New York to make big-time statements on sport, sustainability, and community. McCharen-Tran moved that you can be just as impactful as the behemoths—maybe more—by sticking to your laurels and representing your community. Athletes of any body, practice, or passion would be lucky to pump it up in some Chromat.
10 February 2020
Milestones have a way of triggering feelings; even before Chromat’s 10th-anniversary collection began, the atmosphere at Spring Studios was emotionally charged. Hours after the brand announced its direct-to-consumer future, fans queued up outside the venue to watch Becca McCharen-Tran’s latest runway extravaganza. With a DJ blaring hip-hop and a room full of Chromat-clad admirers wearing the last decade of the label’s fashion output, the mood was celebratory. A super-charged birthday party for a brand whose mission inspires intense devotion, the show could have been a recap of previous hits, but McCharen-Tran was intent on innovation—even if it meant looking to the stars. “It’s about moving forward,” she shared backstage.”The inspiration was very much about NASA and how its astronauts train in underwater facilities in Houston. It’s something we’ve barely scratched the surface of, and I’d love to explore further.”As always, a parade of notable models of all ages, sexes, and backgrounds featured prominently, but this time around, they wore revised versions of popular styles. “It was kind of like getting the band back together,” said McCharen-Tran of the process of reconnecting with her collaborators. “There was so much communal support. I was calling up everyone we’d worked with to not just bring things back, but reimagine it for right now.” The “sample size” T-shirts of Spring 2019 were transformed into a patchwork gown with a built-in bustier on model and body-positivity activist Tess Holliday. The inflatables and floaties of Fall 2017 reappeared as puffy corsets or blow-up bustles, while Fall 2016’s LED collaboration with Nitemind was taken up a notch via an ethereal, glowing look on the bionic artist Viktoria Modesta.A celebration of collaborative art and womanhood, the collection’s brightest moments came when McCharen-Tran shined her light on those around her, be they the mother-daughter pairings who walked the runway arm in arm or the entire behind-the-scenes Chromat team who came out to share the final bow. “It’s always been important to us to make sure that people know that running a label isn’t a one-person job,” says McCharen-Tran. “I didn’t expect to start crying at the end, but I felt so overwhelmed and grateful. It takes a lot of people to make this happen; I’ve always known that Chromat is more than just me.”
8 September 2019
A change of scenery often results in a new outlook, and Becca McCharen-Tran’s recent move to Miami appears to have done her good. The tropical vibrancy of the city made its way ontoChromat’s Fall runway, but the culture of South Florida is about more than punchy colors. Relocation gave McCharen-Tran a chance to think big away from the noise of New York, and it allowed her to consider the daily realities of global warming. “We started to design this collection thinking about the paradise fantasy of Miami, but living there made me realize it’s on the climate change frontline,” said McCharen-Tran post-show. “Flooding, high tide, red tide—which is toxic algae that can burn your skin—these are everyday issues there which really made me consider how I’m contributing to the devastation.” The push towards a more eco-conscious sensibility has been a recurring theme this season, but the Chromat interpretation was distinctive; where else are you going to see models carting water bottles and dragging a fishnet full of plastic waste behind them?Already using recyclable materials like bio-based TPU and Lycra created from old fishing nets, McCharen-Tran decided to utilize dead stock when making Fall’s lineup of bikinis and beachwear. You don’t have to be all that concerned about the environment to appreciate the sight of Mia Kang in a color-blocked neon two-piece, or Ericka Hart rocking a blush-tone metallic bodysuit, but it doesn’t hurt. As always, swim was the focal point, but an influx of dresses and layering pieces verged into eveningwear territory. Transparent metallic skirts accented with turquoise piping could easily be worn for a night out, and bell sleeved cover-ups paired with crop tops made for an appealing proposition.Few designers celebrate the body in the way McCharen-Tran does, letting her oil-slicked models strut down the runway displaying every curve as they’re cheered on. Her shows and their uplifting message of body pride have been instrumental in evolving the conversation around size within fashion, all of which makes you want more. After fine-tuning her aesthetic for swim- and bodywear, the time was right for a foray into fresh categories. Fall’s barely there “dresses,” delivered in candy colors and held together with pieces of string, were daring and brimming with potential for the next phase of the Chromat revolution.
8 February 2019
Nothing compares to the energy at a Chromat show; Becca McCharen-Tran’s collections have developed an ebullient following. A model comes down her runway and the audience switches into pep rally mode, the jaded nonchalance of NYFW slipping away as they cheer each strut. In a town where people pride themselves on not caring, it’s rare for a brand to garner such a raucous response, but Chromat has earned it.This season began with a riff on a day at the beach, complete with soaked beauties dripping with water. Playing on the idea of the cover-up—the oversize tops meant to hide the body—McCharen-Tran flipped the script by adding transparency, weblike netting, and cropped silhouettes to her tees. “I wanted to reimagine the whole idea of throwing a ginormous shirt over your swimsuit at the pool because you’re too embarrassed to be seen,” she said backstage. “To take that moment of vulnerability and make it something to be proud of.”The idea of pride for all bodies shouldn’t seem revolutionary, but at times it does. The sight of cancer survivor and amputee Mama Cax in a formfitting peekaboo dress revealing a neon bra, or trans activist and actress Leyna Bloom in a slinky silver one-piece is meaningful, and the ongoing dialogue about the human form that plays out on McCharen-Tran’s runways continued into her Spring output. A print by artist Dana Scruggs of a nude woman made its way onto shirts, bralettes, and even a floor-length gown. Bands to prevent thigh chafing added to several monochromatic looks, and Kadija Diawara, resplendent in her hijab, modeled the Chromat take on modest dressing—a flowing tunic with slits that revealed logoed leggings.McCharen-Tran was among the first wave of designers to acknowledge subjects that now serve as rallying points—body positivity, gender fluidity, and disability rights—and her shows serve as more than a showcase for clothes. The enthusiasm for Chromat is tied to its commitment to those issues. Armed with a platform, McCharen-Tran used her finale to hammer home a point. With models of every incarnation emerging in shirts that bore the wordssample size, she sent the message that fashion as a whole needs to embrace inclusion. It’s a move that would make shows like Chromat’s the norm rather than the exception.
7 September 2018
At a time when everyone is talking about gender and size on the runway, the conversation can often feel forced. That’s never been the case for Chromat’s Becca McCharen-Tran. At her shows, conventional notions of beauty fall to the wayside, and suddenly your eyes are open to a million different kinds of allure—fabulous people of all shapes, sizes, and colors who flaunt a life-affirming body confidence that solicits whoops of joy from the front row.This season the collection was buoyed by an escapist theme, or what the designer described as “my way of finding joy when the world is spiraling.” As the lights went up, models came striding down the runway with floatation noodles wrapped around their swimsuits. Chromat zippered maillots have become a signature, and this time they were laced with flattering side-cinching bungee cords. Skintight neon rash guards and itsy-bitsy bikini tops came paired with baggy raver pants in techy fabrics, a nice antidote to the omnipresent sports legging. After her experimentations with denim for Fall, McCahren-Tran is clearly shifting gears towards the dance floor, and her new focus on party frocks felt like a natural evolution of the Chromat aesthetic. The body-conscious scuba dresses in exuberant neon colors were a standout. Emme, a woman who is universally recognized as the world’s first plus-size supermodel, looked positively radiant, taking turns down the catwalk in not one but two body-skimming numbers.Beyond the much-needed celebration of curves, McCharen-Tran’s mission embraces the notion of community first and foremost. She expanded her circle to include several more inspiring personalities, including breast cancer survivor Ericka Hart, who bounded out in a thigh-skimming slip and a thong bikini. As the debate around activism on the runway rages on, Chromat is proof that fashion can truly be a positive agent for change.
9 February 2018
The idea of self-care has taken on a new level of importance in these politically turbulent times, and Chromat’s Becca McCharen-Tran has been tuning in to her witchy senses for emotional and spiritual support. Healing crystals, zen gardens, and salt baths were some of the references that figured in the collection she presented earlier today, and the scene was set with a cosmically charged performance by electro artist Suzi Analogue and a video montage of bodacious Chromat babes spinning on a piece of volcanic molten lava. Leyna Bloom, the gorgeous trans, Filipino-American model—who opened the show in a denim crop top revealing the lower curve of her breasts, G-string, and crystal-studded cuffs by jewelry label Creepy Yeha jangling at her wrists—certainly made that new-age idea of harnessing your inner goddess look red hot. In fact, she pulled off what has arguably been the most controversial supermodel beach trend of the summer—the thong—with sexy, hip-swinging aplomb.McCharen-Tran has always used the runway to celebrate trailblazers in her community such as Bloom, and this season her lineup was more diverse than ever. Emme, a woman who is widely recognized as the first plus-size supermodel, made her first runway appearance ever, proudly strutting down the runway in a cutout bathing suit and anti-chafing thigh bands on her legs. Jordyn Woods, the social media modeling sensation, made her Fashion Week debut as well in Chromat’s version of a denim tuxedo—a cool corset top and patchwork jeans (yes, jeans!) that were made for glorious curves. The dizzying number of looks and body types was a testament to the range of this designer, who has transferred her architectural, performance-based approach beyond a one-piece bathing suit to encompass athleisure with real attitude, and even unconventional eveningwear fashioned from golden space blankets.Backstage after the show, McCharen-Tran spoke about the importance of giving the women in her show a voice, and pointed to the zines sitting on every seat that were made in collaboration with the models. And when you consider the Instagram following of someone like Woods (3 million and counting), it’s clear that this style-conscious audience has been ignored by the world of high fashion for far too long. Ultimately, there’s been a seismic shift in the way we think about body positivity in the culture at large, and it’s designers like McCharen-Tran who are leading the charge on the runway.
8 September 2017
Can fashion be part of the resistance? It’s a question many designers will be grappling with this week, given the current state of the world. ForChromat’s Becca McCharen-Tran, the answer is a no-brainer. Her line has stood for inclusion since its inception, and her shows never fail to celebrate diversity across race, gender, and body types. This season McCharen-Tran invited her friend Uniiqu3, a producer and singer, to set the stage for Fall 2017. Dressed in one of the brand’s signature cage skirts and a tee printed with the slogan #ChromatBabe, the singer and her two hip-swiveling dancers rocked the crowd with a performance of “Werk Ya Bawdy,” her rousing Jersey club anthem. “I love seeing my friends on the runway, and I feel like we’re in a moment where we need to stand together more than ever,” said McCharen-Tran backstage after the show. “I’ve always found that togetherness in nightlife, and people like Uniiqu3 represent that freedom to me.”That life-affirming vision came through in every aspect of a collection that took inspiration from life vests and flotation devices. McCharen-Tran started putting her mood board together right before the election in November, and it’s clear the looming prospect of a Trump presidency set her creative impulses into survival mode: skirts and crop tops were fashioned from inflatable cushions made in collaboration with outdoors company Klymit. These were clothes to weather a storm of epic proportions, quite literally. The most impressive of them was a three-quarter-length puffer coat with Victoriana-style sleeves; a garment that could easily double as a life raft in an apocalyptic flood.Of course, it’s McCharen-Tran’s talent for creating great swimwear that has kept her business buoyant in the seven years since she made the switch from architecture to fashion. Seeing Chromat’s curvaceous models stride down the runway in zippered maillots and midriff-baring rash guards with such incredible joy was an empowering moment for anyone who has ever felt less than confident shopping for a new swimsuit. In fact, it’s designers like McCharen-Tran who are helping to redefine the traditional proportions of a bombshell and the notion that a bikini should be one-size-fits-all. In the Chromat universe, everyone is invited to the party, and pieces with fashion-forward ingenuity and body-positivity go hand-in-hand. It’s a fashion message that others would be wise to get behind.
10 February 2017
Chromat’s Becca McCharen-Tran (she got married in June) admitted backstage before her show today that “Spring is always about swim.” Yet for this coming season especially, the inspiration was extra strong: The designer name-checked the Olympic gold medal swimmers Katie Ledecky and Simone Manuel, as well as competitive Flyboarding (the activity where you hover above water on a small air or water-propelled platform). She also noted that swimwear is her number one business driver—mentioning its success at Barneys New York in particular.Chromat’s magic, though, is that McCharen-Tran knows how to buff up the universality of the swim and active categories with high-fashion, high-concept provocation. The designer’s wide-ranging interests allow her to do so; her background is in architecture, and subcultures fascinate her. This collection featured a pale blue bikini bonded by contrasting black straps and red clips—each welded to resemble an hourglass figure—that exhibited that interest most clearly. It struck the right note of wearable and edgy. Likewise, a neoprene top with hanging pseudo-overall straps, and a mesh hooded beach cover-up that’d look just as good at a club as it would worn by a particularly fashionable poolgoer. McCharen-Tran even suggested a swim-pant—warm-up trousers that boasted netted legs and color-blocking. All good stuff.During the summer, McCharen-Tran took her team to Rockaway Beach, in New York’s Queens borough, for surf lessons. “It was so fun, I hadn’t surfed before—after that, I had a greater appreciation for rash guard fabrications, and the way your arms move in the water,” she said. Those rash guards came cropped and colorful—they, too, were solid. The designer further deserves points for her continued support of diversity on the runway: Her shows are consistently well-cast, featuring models of different colors, sizes, and genders.At this point, though, it’d be interesting to see a bit more design exploration and daring from Chromat. McCharen-Tran’s love of tech, and the myriad ways it can impact fashion, should be further plumbed. In terms of brand identity, her pylons are sunk and solidified; it’s time to start engineering skyward. Because with tech, the sky isn’t even the limit.
9 September 2016
Chromat’s Becca McCharen doesn’t make excuses. Where other designers have dragged their feet to embrace technology, feature plus-size models, and champion diversity of race and gender, McCharen has pounced, springing leaps and bounds ahead of some of her contemporaries. She was one of the first to experiment with 3-D printing and wearable tech and always loves to throw an unexpected material—this season it was thermoplastic polyurethane—into her collections. “This is natural to me, this is my world and who I’m inspired by,” she said backstage, where the crew that produced the TV seriesThe Fashion Fundabout theCFDA/VogueFashion Fundcompetition was filming a new documentary about her and her brand. (McCharen was a CVFF finalist in 2015.)All her forward-thinking and innovating begs the question: Why haven’t you heard about Chromat yet? It may have something to do with the fact that its previous collections were unflinchingly experimental. Her background in architecture has led McCharen down some ideologically fascinating paths, but those paths produced only a few looks that could live off the runway or off the stage, where the brand has become a pop-star favorite worn byTaylor Swift,Madonna,Nicki Minaj, andFKA twigs. Fall was a marked step forward in Chromat’s evolution.Inspired by the colors and light play in Robert Irwin’s recent exhibit at Dia:Beacon, McCharen sent out athleticwear, swimwear, and lingerie in peppy hues and simplified, yet distinctly architectural shapes. Though she loves a good strappy detail or cutout, those flourishes were less prevalent this time around, reserved for a need-to-be-there basis. That moved the focus to the shape and structure of the clothes, which was body-conscious—or maybe body-friendly is a better term. A rounded shoulder jacket worn with sheer-paneled leggings in the sport section had real-world appeal, while several tight sheath dresses (like the one worn by trans artist Juliana Huxtable) were sporty, cool, and wholly unfussy.A partnership with Intel—Chromat’s second—produced LED-trim items that were triggered to light up by a glove-like apparatus on models’ hands. They had the brightness of underground ravewear, but clean lines that made them seem more like some clever type of wearable Dan Flavin piece. Here, McCharen’s big ideas and the reality of her garments came together in a brilliant marriage.
As fate would have it, a documentary about Ludwig Mies van der Rohe was playing on my TV when I returned home to write this review. “I don’t want to be interesting, I want to be good,” he proclaimed. McCharen could strut into her after-party knowing that she’s both.
14 February 2016