New York Fashion Week Spring '09: Rock & Republic
NEW YORK—Redemption was the theme of Rock & Republic’s Spring ’09 collection. Still, the company known for its glitterati lifestyle and rock ’n’ roll denim created an unapologetic “in your face” sexed-up collection. “It’s about redemption,” said Michael Ball, founder and creative director of the Los Angeles–based company. “It’s about black and white, it’s about good and bad, it’s about making choices that take you from one extreme to the other. That’s where I am personally, and I wanted that to reflect in the collection, and I think it did,” he explained.
The black-and-white palette was striking, and Ball juxtaposed very feminine pieces with hard-edged ones. The collection was suitable for the party crowd—skin-tight jeans, fitted blazers, liquid leggings and cut-to-there mini-dresses. For guys, black leather jackets and blazers paired with white denim jeans were the look. Ball, who likes to push the edge on innovation, applied a ceramic coating to denim and engineered jeans that fit so tightly they looked like liquid. He named the styles the “F*ck Pant” and the “Skinny Bitch Pant.” When asked what type of denim he used to create the jeans, Ball replied: “I can’t tell you. That’s top secret.” —N. Jayne Seward
