cindy... charming... and somebody's lost their shoe...
women's spring 2023 collection
palais garnier, paris
october 3, 2022
at the stroke of midnight, in the grand foyer of the palais garnier,
a seven-foot tall sparkling shoe sits alone.
twenty grand silk taffeta opera coats take center stage in a
fluttering flurry. tiered, gathered, and pleated—emblazoned
with varsity numbers and tipped with grosgrain silk. in saddle
shoes that match the gowns, it is a procession in hundreds of
color combinations.
oh… if only the shoe belonged to one of us…
the crowd disperses leaving only one. a mystery in white tulle…
she wisps toward the shoe.
maybe… it could be me…
in half-draped silk taffeta polka dot dresses and rocker wedge saddle shoes,
her stepmother and stepsisters stomp…stomp…stomp in, wearing broad-
shouldered oxford tailoring and birdcage veils. corseted in a tuxedo trompe
l'oeil crop jacket, their cat lucifer prances past in a satin mini skirt and silk
duchess jacket festooned with satin ribbon yarn-ball embroidery.
the group of twenty returns, now revealing truly american oxford fabrics.
elongated, oversized, and cropped tailoring, detailed with carefully arranged
intarsia polka dots, in preppy, child-like color combinations.
intarsia polka dots…
only in thom browne’s world…
the lining is silk-twill, in complementary polka dot patterns…that are not
always so complementary.
dropped waists, cropped shirts, and high-waisted underpinnings meet
elegant proportions, roped shoulders, and platform saddle shoes. beneath
the tailoring, smocked tulle bodysuits add mystery to the body and fantasy
to the world.
five spry little mice in flared, off-the-shoulder mini dresses punctuated by
embroidered bows, tread lightly in taffeta mary jane flats and pompom
fascinators. welcome the fairy godmother and her wand-wielding cortège, in
pleated poodle skirts, with silk taffeta bodysuits and hand-knit jackets with
tulle, taffeta, and satin ribbons.
in her carriage, a pink tulle cadillac, Cindy returns. stepping into the shoe,
she is the belle of the ball— wearing a white pleated opera coat trimmed
with gold bullion embroidery, topped with roped shoulders and finished with
navy satin tails.
moments later, she emerges…transformed into the most true version of herself.
in thom browne’s world…
all girls and all boys fit inside the shoe…
