PERFECT

2 months ago | theperfectmagazine.com | Bridget Foley

Subversives, indeed. But that was then. In 2025, sartorial subversion may be a retro concept. It’s tough to wage meaningful wardrobe rebellion in a world in which anything goes. Yet that’s fine with Zankov. “I never, ever, ever want it to be literal,” he clarified backstage. To him, subversion means unleashing unabashed exuberance into a sphere of polished chic.

2 months ago | theperfectmagazine.com | Bridget Foley

Lopez titled his show “El Pato,” a slur used against gay men, that he said he wanted to reclaim. His show notes expanded upon the invective with a poem that referenced Simón, the trans protagonist of Willie Colón’s 1986 song "El gran varón,” which also appeared on the soundtrack. This announced a collection that was unabashedly and unmistakably queer. Bold 80’s-influenced proportions harkened spiritually to the transgressive bravado of the Ballroom club scene.

2 months ago | theperfectmagazine.com | Bridget Foley

Guests arriving to Coach’s fall show found the Park Avenue Armory transformed into a vast warehouse of soaring, windowed brick walls (printed on canvas). The message: urban mettle, yet with a slight dreamlike quality. The set by Stefan Beckman telegraphed gritty intensity, the mood heightened by a live band, Brooklyn-based Nation of Language.

2 months ago | theperfectmagazine.com | Bridget Foley

A delicious baseline for a runway romp, and once again, Sui delivered bigtime. She invariably uses her runway as a platform for disseminating joy. Yet as part of her particular genius, she often does so while making deft social commentary.

2 months ago | theperfectmagazine.com | Bridget Foley

Of course, not all courage is equal. There’s NY fashion designer courage and LA firefighter courage. Jacobs is a smart, emotionally sophisticated man who knows the difference. He knows, too, that the extraordinary, selfless bravery of one does not negate the legitimacy of the other. Although he didn’t talk with the press post-show (sadly, those sessions now seem firmly in his past), he did supply his guests with a powerful printed statement of what courage means in the context of his life’s work.