Boo Boo the Fool just got an updated wardrobe.
Christopher John Rogers‘s name is concretely backed up by his design prowess. The designer’s house signatures are established and highly recognizable — black and white checkered stockings, rainbow stripes, and duo-colored necklines. CJR stands apart from the high fashion pack, designing evening wear that is too bold and bright to slink through the dark.
This morning CJR debuted Collection 011 – “It’s My Party and I’ll Cry If I Want To”
CJR’s particular brand of play and whimsy is on full display in this collection. Daring to be an adult with an active imagination in a world drained of its color is a feat, one that CJR empathizes with. So much so that he illustrated the adventure inward, from the current minimalist culture reflected around us to the technicolored wackiness found in personal daydreams. Collection 011 doesn’t truly utilize CJR’s signature use of color until act four.
The collection starts with creams and whites, dramatized by draping, cinching, and pleating. Act two begins to deepen the color palette with deep brown and stark black, reflecting what it’s like to discover the opposite end of your starting point. But what about all of the wonderful possibilities that color the journey between the two points? See: act three.
Black is intermingled with floral yellows, shades of red start to overpower, and a muted mustard yellow takes hold of three semi-monochromatic looks. Here we’re getting our first tongue-lighting taste, the exposition before the climax of this collection. And then, act four.
Act four’s use of color presents like the patchwork of a quilt, pretty when in pieces but meaningful once stitched together. The full rainbow is present and accounted for in all its joyful glory. And from then on out, the darks, lights, and the crayon-colored hues in between coexist, balanced and united. CJR showed us that he can go dark, he can go light, and he can go toe-to-toe with the supposed masters of those lanes. But while CJR possesses the range, you can tell his heart sings for the playful.
The clown motif is sewn throughout the collection — a honking red nose, an old-timey pierrot jumpsuit, a red “you’ll float too” -esque balloon, and four towering clown hats. Viewing the looks side by side makes it easier to see the circus. You can see the acrobat with frilly hems for extra flare and the stoic mime, and with this context, the low-crotch one-piece will suddenly remind you of Tweedledee and Tweedledum.
And yet, there are unbelievably glamorous moments amongst the many moving parts of this kaleidoscope circus. See: Look 27, a floral masterpiece that will make a red carpet-appearance this upcoming award season. Looks 38, 40, and 45 serve as further confirmation of CJR’s creativity agility. His ability to intermix the downright ridiculous with the ritz and glitz is truly astounding.
The bowtie tops, porthole cutouts, ombre pop art, and delicate florals are available for preorder on Christopher John Rogers’s website. The complete 46-piece collection is available to view on Vogue Runway.
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