Suzanne Rae (Q9265)
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Suzanne Rae is a fashion house from FMD.
| Language | Label | Description | Also known as |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | Suzanne Rae |
Suzanne Rae is a fashion house from FMD. |
Statements
Staged at the Flamboyán Theater on the Lower East Side, Suzanne Rae’s new collection outperformed the typical runway experience in every way. Brooklyn pop artists CJCJ and Verduch opened the show with new music and choreography as Rae’s diverse lineup of models hit the catwalk, and it was all followed by a feel-good dance party.Rae’s inclusive casting broke the stereotypical model mold in an effort to show that her clothes are made for everyone—not just every woman. “The future of fashion is nonbinary, and I really enjoy opening up our exercises to that,” she said. In the clothes, Rae fused her own style with Gloria Vanderbilt’s and, more unusually,Caddyshack’s Al Czervik. “Part of me is a really casual person, and part of me is a little more formal,” she explained. The silky pajama set was lounge-ready, while a coral dress with fluorescent fringe was better suited for those big nights out. Rae’s bigger-picture goal was to decontextualize the relationship between fashion and class, putting her downtown twist on upper-crust staples like cardigans, crest blazers, evening gowns, knit polos, and Bermuda shorts. Her visions came in outsize proportions or were made with conscious materials like recycled polyester. “It’s really sort of a mishmash, but that’s how we all are now,” she mused. Like her peers in New York’s group of emerging talents, it all comes down to owning your look.
9 September 2019
Beyond Fall 2019’s retro plaids and neons, Suzanne Rae wanted her collection to tell a story. Titled White Collar, Blue Collar, No Collar, she was thinking about working mothers, having given birth to her second child just three months ago. “I always bring it back to a personal perspective with regards to women and feminism,” she explained.That translated to her lookbook, too: Women and men alike wore her new tartan skirts and denim jumpsuits while they performed household tasks—cooking, vacuuming, washing the dishes. The bright makeup and wigs added a campy touch. There was a nod to the ’80s in the “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter” motif as well as the big, ruffly collars. Still, Rae said she wanted to make pieces for modern women who work in every field and setting: “Fashion is so performative, and I wanted everyone—no matter what class they’re in—to look fabulous.”The voluminous silhouettes and ultrabright colors indeed looked fabulous, but they were ultimately quite personal to Rae. She stitched her own name onto a few jumpsuits and hoodies, and showed new versions of the popular square-toe pumps that have become her own signature for tackling a day at the studio or running errands. The cropped jacquard trousers would also suit that purpose; the ultrashort miniskirts, not so much—but they’ll be fun for mom’s night out.
20 February 2019
Childhood’s magic exists in part thanks to our boundless imaginations. Before the pragmatic limitations of society are present within our minds we’re free to envision futures steeped in fantasy. Suzanne Rae Pelaez’s Spring output was crafted from a youthful worldview informed by fairy tales, Hollywood films, and the punchy colors of Crayola crayons. With her vintage dollhouse sitting at the center of her Chinatown studio and daughter Ella playing alongside models dressed in cheery shades of pink and lavender, Rae Pelaez set an exuberant mood. The clothes were as smile-inducing; cropped suits in floral jacquard with transparent overlays of tulle with cross-stitching that resembled circuitry were cute and inventive, while bows adorning trousers, belts, and even shoes added an unapologetically girly touch.A neutral-focused wardrobe may be the norm for most once adulthood hits, but Rae Pelaez was eager to challenge the narrative that grown-up equates to conservative. A feminist designer whose work has always reflected her ideals, her choice to go juvenile was about more than the youthquake. Freedom of expression served as the underlying theme. Puffed sleeves and lacy pants that echoed bloomers were a take on feminine liberation. Not every aspect worked—in the wrong hands a floral-leggings-and-cropped-top combination could skew into Barbie kitsch—but the collection had an audacious energy that reverberated through each flight of fancy.
12 September 2018
Resort 2019 marks the first time Suzanne Rae designer Suzanne Rae Pelaez has shown during the pre-collections, but she came armed with ideas. To start, she debuted a line of ultra-comfy, orthopedic shoe–inspired sneakers and expanded her popular range of footwear into minty green fur-lined sandals and emerald Mary Janes. Accessories aside, Rae Pelaez used the season to explore athleisure, a category that has become omnipresent. By now, any label that offers up something different than the typical lineup of hoodies and sweats is cause for celebration, and Rae Pelaez steered clear of the cliches. Adapting her favorite motifs into sportier versions of themselves, she emblazoned crests on T-shirts, layered tracksuits beneath tailored topcoats, and accented gauzy dresses with drawstring pulls in punchy shades of red.Taking her cues from referee uniforms, she brought in a wealth of graphic patterns covering blazers, cropped trousers, and shirts. Stripes may be the predominant motif, but the most interesting visual came via a country-western fabric featuring a cowboy mid-gallop. Abstract until you look close enough to see the painted figures, the fabric’s print brought flair to cheongsams and blouses fastened with button knots. The unexpected East meets West touch added originality to shapes that might otherwise seem familiar.As always, Rae Pelaez made sure to include an empowering message within the garments themselves. Stitching the wordfeministonto suspenders and the sleeves of jackets, she anchored the collection with a statement that went beyond trainers and sweats.
12 June 2018
Protest can be a loaded theme for a fashion show. Lately, brands whose previous political engagement could best be described as lax have been co-opting its symbols within their collections, a move that can seem trite, or worse yet, opportunistic. Designers who have long tied their work to themes of social justice face a new challenge: how to address the concerns of the current climate while maintaining authenticity.In the past, Suzanne Rae Pelaez has used her presentations as a platform for feminist ideas, utilizing performance and artwork as a means of conveying a full story. This season, the clothes spoke for themselves, though she staged her work at a gallery night entitled “Women of the American Evolution” with portraits of inspirational women like Zora Casebere—actress and daughter of artist Lorna Simpson—and the Wide Rainbow arts program director Maia Ruth Lee posed like political leaders. One look at the pieces made Rae Pelaez’s message clear—change is coming and women are the ones who will bring it.Revisiting motifs from the past, Rae Pelaez reimagined several elements that have become signatures within her work. Moving the decorative crests she’d used on blazers during Fall 2017 onto military-style berets, she ditched prep in favor of symbolic rebellion. Remixing standards like the jean jacket and power suit into plaid or pinstripe-covered separates in stretchy wool, she presented workwear with an off-kilter vibe. The combo of a salmon-color angora turtleneck and a hot pink A-line skirt could be appropriate for the office, but the ultrafeminine prettiness almost begged for an occasion. On the flip side, transparent knit dresses might seem too revealing for day, but their gauzy beauty, when layered over white stockings, made it seem worth the risk.Finding new ways to wear the familiar is what fashion is all about, but Rae Pelaez’s vision of what women need felt distinctive. Blouses with frayed edges, square-toed Mary Janes, and dresses with deep pockets speak to a specific kind of downtowner, but the appeal of that look has broadened. Increasingly, women feel emboldened, ready to wear their politics on their sleeve or eschew traditional workwear. Pastel Chelsea boots, cocoon-shaped outerwear, and chunky faux fur may not incite revolution, but Rae Pelaez’s earnest approach keeps her work interesting.
28 February 2018
At Suzanne Rae, the artist is present. Objects of Desire, the label’s Spring collection, looked to performance art, with Laurie Anderson and Louise Bourgeois serving as inspirations for a streamlined collection of separates in shades of navy, white, and crimson. Designer Suzanne Rae Pelaez committed herself to the experience by inviting guests at her immersive presentation into a specially crafted confessional where they could interact with her directly. The intimate encounter was intended to bring viewers deeper into the collection’s spirit. For Pelaez, who also stars in the corresponding lookbook, presenting new designs and herself in such a personal manner proved uniquely demanding. “In the context of everything, of being immediately subject to social assumptions, it was generally uncomfortable for both parties, but I enjoyed the challenge of the awkwardness,” she said postshow. “I felt compelled to make my audience feel comfortable and to let them know that within the experiment of life, of being, that everything is okay and that I was on their side.”Even those who won’t get to experience face time with Pelaez should feel as though she’s in their corner this season. Playing with ideas about the sacred and profane, she crafted looks that could be seen as seductive or demure, depending on the wearer’s disposition, which allowed for added versatility. Skirts that hinted at transparency with their visible seams and gauzy overlay of organza were sexy yet subdued, as were bloodred sheaths in clingy viscose jersey. Details like shoe clips bearing the male and female symbols and rows of undone buttons on cardigans added a playful quality, as did the miniature versions of several looks that were worn by Pelaez’s daughter.Anchored by a strong lineup of accessories including on-trend leather fanny packs, square-toed platform Mary Janes in plush velvet, and Chelsea boots in ribbed moire, the objects of desire moniker fit. Ditching some of the pragmatism she showed in previous seasons, Pelaez opened the door for unbridled prettiness; full skirts in shiny blue taffeta serve no practical purpose, but, boy, do they look good.
10 September 2017
Though the definition of luxury continues to evolve, fashion frequently trades on imagery associated with the old boys’ club. The patriarchal version of success associated with country clubs and elite boarding schools remains prevalent, but with her subversive 2017 collection, Suzanne Pelaez aims to turn the posh archetype on its head. Political long before it became an industry-wide buzzword, Pelaez has seen opinions shift and her output has changed as a result. “When we started the line six years ago we used the word feminist a lot and people would tell me, ‘Suzanne, don’t you think that’s a little aggressive?’ ” shared Pelaez pre-presentation. “We’ve always had a feminist agenda, but we’ve gotten braver. People realize now that the word isn’t something to fear.”Taking the symbols associated with the exclusionary and reinterpreting them as empowering messages for women, Pelaez creates an appealing new iconography. School crests with the words “Liberté, Égalité, and Feminist” in bold text, tailored blazers paired with recycled cashmere knits, and an array of colorful separates with a vintage vibe combined to form a collection that focused on feminine updates to menswear standards. Offering a vivid range of mules lined with faux mink, mesh Chelsea boots, and pony-hair penny loafers, Pelaez expanded on her accessories output to great effect.Playing with ideas of personas and privilege meant creating an experience that could reflect those concepts. With artist Mae Elvis Kaufman and actress Marisa Tomei on hand to transform themselves into characters who took artfully composed self-portraits, Pelaez offered one of the more interesting presentations of the week. Seeing Tomei and Kaufman don wigs and try on the looks proved fascinating, but it’s the clothes—with their assured confidence and subtle message—that will keep people talking.
14 February 2017
Suzanne RaePelaez falls into the “minimalist” category of designers, but unlike the stark, neutral-toned boundaries her peers might set for themselves, she gives herself lots of wiggle room when it comes to color, texture, and strange details. Consider the cape-like swaths of silk draped over the jackets and dresses in her Spring ’17 lineup, or the little patches embroidered with Venus symbols on the waistbands of ribbed trousers. Feminism has always been an underlying theme for Pelaez, and with so many girl-power messages on the runways this season, it’s a good time for her to push that even further. A boxy, cream-color mesh top had the faintest chain stitching that read: “I’m not your seductress,” a mantra of sorts for Pelaez.Bigger shifts came in the form of high-definition new colors, like the turquoise and lime-green ribbed knits, and an expanded range of fabrics. Pelaez called it a mix of Eastern and Western influences; her signature mandarin collared shirts and dresses appeared in techy cotton-nylon blends, rather than 100 percent Supima, which wrinkles and “wilts around the body.” She also pointed out a buoyant Newlife fiber from Italy that was made of recycled plastic bottles, noting that it “performs better” than cotton or crepe. The concept of performance fabrics typically refers to activewear, but any woman who’s tried to pack a starchy poplin blouse in a suitcase knows the struggle of beautiful clothes that don’t stand up to real life.
11 October 2016
You could describe Suzanne Rae Pelaez’s aesthetic as minimal, intellectual, and a little arty. She isn’t really concerned with being on trend, and neither are her customers. Pelaez’s label is a resource for boxy tees, bias-cut dresses, and utilitarian jackets, often in easy-to-style neutrals like camel, navy, and ivory. But clothes that subtle can be easy to miss, too. This season, she got a little more experimental; her overarching theme was masculinity versus femininity, and while she certainly isn’t the first designer to play with that tension, you’d be hard-pressed to find someone else who wants you to wear leotardsovermidi skirts and paper-bag–waist trousers. Many of the leotards were actually built into dresses and shirts, and they lent a dance-class vibe to an otherwise spare lineup.The other news for Pelaez was a vintage wallpaper–inspired floral print in shades of eggplant and lavender. It showed up on button-downs, cropped trousers, and a flowing skirt, which she styled on a male model. Suzanne Rae isn’t necessarily a unisex label, but the clothes are basic and anonymous enough to welcome all kinds of shoppers, regardless of gender, age, or taste. Lots of women (and men!) would be happy to have Pelaez’s light-as-air micro-down coat in their closets ahead of next winter’s blizzards.
16 March 2016
“I’m not your seductress.” That was designer Suzanne Rae’s mantra for Spring, a manifesto for women who dress for themselves, not the gaze of others; in short, her customers. Rae makes quietly arty staples that place an emphasis on construction and fit. Here she struck a balance between concealing and revealing: boxy, unisex shapes like kimonos in Japanese denim, and clingier bias-cut dresses. Trousers and tops in a sheeny cotton nylon were standouts, and gave way to other novel fabrications like a white Italian jacquard splashed all over with burnout blooms. That print felt like a rare—but welcome—extravagance among so many garments that receded, down to their clear buttons. One development for Rae that was anything but retiring? A group of two-tone ribbed knits in juicy, jolie-laide color combos; there was a certain seductiveness to them—the kind that will pit cool girls against their wallets.
19 October 2015