Review of 1989 Fall 2023 Men’s Fashion Show
Watching The Throne
By Obi Anyanwu
Designer Chaz Jordan is back.
The Chicago native designer debuted his latest collection for his latest fashion endeavor, 1989, at Palais de Tokyo on Saturday evening to an audience of celebrities like Don C, a fellow Chicagoan and longtime supporter of Jordan, rapper Westside Gunn, and top retail veterans Poggy and Jian DeLeon among others.
You can tell that music, the late 2000’s and early 2010’s had a significant impact on Jordan’s collection and overall taste
1989 is a culmination of Jordan’s life experiences and his storied career that has gone under the radar. He launched his first brand, Au Courant, in Paris over a decade ago, then transitioned to a second named Ih Nom Uh Nit, followed by Laundered Works with Offset and finally 1989 Studio, which launched in 2021 and was acquired by FF Group in 2022.
Though the young designer has 33 years to look to for inspiration, he zoned in on the early 2010’s, namely his beginnings in the industry at Chicago retailer RSVP Gallery with Don C and the late Virgil Abloh, and the pivotal ‘Watch the Throne’ era that sent cultural shockwaves through Chicago’s Bucktown, West Loop and Magnificent Mile, SoHo in New York City and much of Paris.
Jordan recreated a coliseum in the venue with a sandy ground for the models decked out in black hoodies and graphic t-shirts with the year and brand name 1989 on the back, oversized long coats, down parkas, denim jackets and varsity jacket, as well as hunting camouflage attire.
The designer channeled key streetwear moments notably black pants with a white stripe along the back that resembles a pair of Evisu jeans that grew in popularity with rappers in the 2000’s, a few croc embossed skateboards nodding to streetwear and skate culture’s official crossover through musicians Pharrell Williams and Lupe Fiasco, and a graphic hoodie that hearkens to the Riccardo Tisci era Givenchy ‘Rottweiler’ tee that captured streetwear crossing over to high fashion on the main stage in Paris.
The designer channeled key streetwear moments
You can tell that music, the late 2000’s and early 2010’s had a significant impact on Jordan’s collection and overall taste, and any young Millennials and older Gen Z shoppers may see a way to relive 2012 fashion through 1989.