- By
- Rosie Dalton
- Drawing by
- Gustaf von Arbin
MATTHEW ADAMS DOLAN
Familiarity is ripe for experimentation as far as Matthew Adams Dolan is concerned. He may draw upon notions of the everyday wardrobe—while working in denim, one of our most classic modern materials—but this New York-based designer’s clothing is anything but conventional. Nor is it meant to be. Instead, raw edges and frayed seams give way to silhouettes at once recognizable yet also somehow distorted. It is this delicate interplay that allows Dolan to introduce a sense of modernism to the storied history of denim. Having graduated from Parsons in 2014 with a masters in fashion design and society, the designer says he is drawn to exaggeration and familiarity in equal measure, injecting these ideas back into patterns that are otherwise quite formulaic—as far as a breast pocket or a jacket cuff go.
Spring 2016 marked Dolan’s first formal presentation at New York Fashion Week. For this collection, he was focused on pushing the boundaries of everyday dressing. “I was looking at denim as a material and how it has become such an important part of American culture,” he explains. “It was especially the dualities that I was interested in. The way it has been appropriated by lots of different groups—like Western cowboys, or the icons of pop culture.” Of course, there can be challenges involved in working with such a classic fabrication, too. “It can be difficult in the sense that a denim jacket or a pair of jeans are such familiar items of clothing,” he says. But this is a challenge that he welcomes, believing it allows him even more creative license. Drawing inspiration from the way people dress on the streets or subway, the designer says he seeks to experiment with scale and personality.
Made domestically and produced in New York, Dolan’s denim really is all American. “I thought it was quite important,” he elaborates of his decision to manufacture at home, “going back to the history of denim and the integrity behind its American roots.” But one can’t help but notice his work also feels reminiscent of avant-garde craftsmanship from all over the world. This probably has something to do with the fact that the designer has lived and studied everywhere from Australia to Japan. “You’re exposed to a different perspective,” he explains of his nomadic background. But what really distinguishes Matthew Adams Dolan is the democratic appeal of his clothing. Crafted in that universal cloth, the cuts are unisex in their design and dramatically oversized in their construction. This may be everyday wear, but certainly not as we know it.
Take a look at our shoot with Matthew Adams Dolan and seven other young labels on the season’s best new faces here.
Matthew Adams Dolan is available at Opening Ceremony. For more information, please visit MatthewAdamsDolan.com.
- By
- Rosie Dalton
- Drawing by
- Gustaf von Arbin
