Lead PictureVaquera Autumn/Winter 2023Images by Paul Phung
A selected edgy, hard-nosed stomp has been trademarked on the runways by New York vogue model Vaquera. Kicking off the Paris Style Week schedule with a raucous Autumn/Winter 2023 present on Monday night at Dover Avenue Market’s 35/37 house, the occasion attracted a frenzy of loyal pals and followers of the model, lots of whom donned a Vaquera uniform replete with simply the correct quantity of bizarre.
Whereas borrowing from vogue’s codes of disobedience – leathers, fishnets, studs, shredded jeans, and pairs of nylon tights pulled over the top with mohawk-esque trims – the most recent assortment made positive to not miss out on the beloved, offbeat twists that initially caught the eye of vogue’s underground. Blood-red frilly lingerie had been stitched onto a pair of in any other case formal swimsuit trousers, as was a satin Nineteen Forties bullet bra onto a schoolboy polo shirt. Belts got here massively outsized, woollen jumpers trailed the ground, attire provocatively hung asymmetrically from the shoulder to reveal single breasts, whereas different undergarments appeared undersized (if in any respect), and conical bralettes had cups that had been barely bigger than nipple pasties.
Patric DiCaprio and Bryn Taubensee, the inventive administrators of the model, are the primary to confess the concepts aren’t at all times essentially new, branding their strategy to design as “vogue fan fiction”. Vaquera was based in 2013 with fantasy at its core, paying homage to their favorite designers – Yohji Yamamoto, Vivienne Westwood and Martin Margiela included. “It was by no means about outright copying,” Taubensee instructed AnOther final yr. “It was about us loving vogue and feeling like outsiders wanting in.”
But in context, their smorgasbord of influences metamorphosises right into a patchwork of affection, like an eclectic Tumblr weblog of excessive vogue referencing, or an obsessive cut-and-paste fanzine in ode to a beloved idol. Its DIY perspective is laced with a considerate John Waters perversity, a kitschy, souvenir-shop spirit, incomes the New York label an obsessive cult who’ve adopted their energetic collections from the final decade as their uniform.
We spoke with 4 pals and followers of the model, all of whom work with AnOther and Dazed – Emma Davidson, Nell Kalonji, Mirko Pedone and Jack Sunnucks – about what makes the model so particular.
Emma Davidson, Style Options Director, Dazed Digital
“I’d identified Patric and Bryn just about for ages as a result of we had coated Vaquera quite a bit on Dazed, and I had interviewed them a few occasions, however I didn’t truly meet them in actual life till February 2022 once they did their first Paris present. I truly don’t get that starstruck lately, however with them I felt a bit shy after I first mentioned hello – like a nerdy fan woman. I feel a part of their attraction is that they’ve at all times mentioned they really feel like vogue followers wanting in from the surface, and I typically really feel like that too, so there’s a little bit of a typical thread. I’m pals with a variety of the folks within the Vaquera neighborhood and it says quite a bit that they’re all very chill and enjoyable – there’s not one of the pretentious fashion-y shit that may be fairly rife within the trade.
“I most likely personal about 20 objects now, which I put on over and over and over. I’m by no means out of their huge sweatshirts and shirts, however my favorite piece needs to be the large navy blue tiered tinsel costume from their Autumn/Winter 2021 assortment. It was a very massive purchase for me and daily I checked the Matches Style web site to see if it was nonetheless there till I lastly had sufficient money for it. As a result of it’s such an OTT assertion piece I used to be like, ‘Am I truly going to put on it sufficient to justify spending all that cash?’ It was. I’ve worn it to absolute demise and haven’t been in any respect valuable about conserving it for the most effective, and it nonetheless feels so enjoyable and particular each time I put it on.
“I feel they [Vaquera] have an actual reverence for vogue and all the things they do comes from a spot of affection for it – they actually began out making what they known as ‘vogue fan fiction’ – and that actually emanates from all the things they do. One in all my favorite Vaquera collections was Autumn/Winter 2018, with the massive outsized T-shirt attire printed with Vivienne Westwood, Miguel Adrover, Andre Walker, and Martin Margiela’s faces, as a part of a tribute to their idols, and I beloved Patric’s tribute to Westwood within the latest problem of Artforum, through which he talked about how he thought runway reveals should be stuffy and inaccessible till he noticed a video of her Punkature present and realised it didn’t must be.
“I don’t know precisely the best way to clarify it, however even earlier than I knew the designers and the folks of their neighborhood, it simply felt like a very welcoming, particular model. It type of strips away the bullshit of vogue and actually focuses on its creativity. Their garments are so sensible and enjoyable and intelligent and typically concurrently foolish, however they’re at all times a complete pleasure to put on – everybody I do know that wears Vaquera (which is lots of people now) feels precisely the identical means.”
Nell Kalonji, Senior Style Editor-at-Massive, AnOther Journal
“I met Vaquera by way of my bestie, Emma Wyman. She met them and began collaborating with them, so we went to their runway present initially to help her and naturally to help younger expertise, which was very thrilling, particularly for New York, when there weren’t that many younger designers on the time. What stood out was the stroll of their fashions – all of them had a fierce stroll. It actually shook issues up, and made a distinction to a variety of the reveals we had seen that week in New York. It’s actually thrilling to see them develop, and now they’re in Paris. The power within the rooms after their reveals … folks had been leaving and saying, ‘Wow, how can we feature this power by way of the week?’ It’s only a sensible begin to Paris Style Week.
“The primary Vaquera piece I received was after that first present. They bought little Vaquera shot glasses, and in addition Vaquera college socks, that are beautiful. They’re form of like college varsity merch, and I nonetheless have the socks and the shot glass. Now, I truthfully couldn’t let you know what number of items I personal. I’d say about 70 to 75 % of my wardrobe is Vaquera. Hardly ever a day goes by after I don’t put on at the very least one piece from Vaquera. That features outerwear, trousers, shirts … I nonetheless put on the issues that I purchased years in the past. One of many first clothes I purchased was this yellow chequered shirt, and I nonetheless put on it. It doesn’t occur typically the place I purchase one thing and I don’t become bored with it.
“I feel what makes Vaquera stand out is that it’s your on a regular basis wardrobe; your trousers, your jacket, your skirt – garments you’ll be able to put on daily, however they’ve a twist to it. It’s such as you’re shopping for into this world. Once you go right into a present and it shakes you up a bit, and that interprets into the strains as properly. With a model like Vaquera, you’re a part of a neighborhood.”
“[Vaquera] type of strips away the bullshit of vogue and actually focuses on its creativity. Their garments are so sensible and enjoyable and intelligent and typically concurrently foolish, however they’re at all times a complete pleasure to put on” – Emma Davidson
Mirko Pedone, Junior Style Editor, Dazed
“I’ve solely met Bryn and Patric briefly, however the first time I correctly encountered Vaquera was after I began aiding [the stylist for their shows] Emma Wyman. I nonetheless keep in mind we needed to do a really last-minute request to get footwear for his or her upcoming present in New York, and I used to be confused they wouldn’t make it on time from London. However they did and the present appeared unbelievable. Then I began digging into their archive and taking a look at earlier reveals, and I used to be amazed by these loopy collections, the place no concepts had been loopy sufficient to not be staged.
“The primary piece I ever purchased was the Rose Tall tee, which remains to be certainly one of my favorite and most treasured items. After that I purchased some trousers. I’m obsessive about the fake leather-based with large studs on the aspect which I put on day and evening. Additionally, the inside-out trousers are additionally a few of my favourites, in addition to some outsized cotton and silky shirts, the outsized ruched ones undoubtedly have a particular place in my coronary heart. Then I’ve some tees – the tall tees nonetheless being the best factor to put on for my part.
“You placed on one thing and you are feeling that power, you’re feeling instantly cool and able to kick ass – you’ll make folks assume, ‘Oh that’s cool, I wish to put on issues like that too.’ The brilliance of their concepts and the audacity to take dangers is one thing that interprets into the clothes when you put on them. You’ll be able to inform they’ve one thing particular to say. They gained’t shut up and they’re right here to remain.”
Jack Sunnucks, Artistic Director of Dazed Membership
“I used to be first launched to Vaquera after I was requested by AnOther Journal to profile them, and we actually hit it off. In a short time after that interview they requested me to begin working with them on press supplies, and shortly after that I received my first Vaquera present. It’s one thing I nonetheless put on on a regular basis to today – a lot to Patric and Bryn’s dismay. It’s a black-and-white checkerboard shirt that has these 4 panels, and it’s my favorite shirt … it’s falling aside, but it surely means quite a bit as a result of it represents the beginning of our friendship.
“Since then my assortment has grown … I most likely have 20 issues. I decide fairly workaday issues as a result of I’m going to an workplace most days of the week, however my husband – who additionally wears a variety of Vaquera – tends to decide on massive coats, massive hats, massive luggage. After I put on Vaquera I really feel like a TV character. Like one thing has shrunk and one thing has grown and it’s unclear what the merchandise it’s, but it surely makes me really feel very highly effective. Patric and Bryn are very calm folks. They’re not like every other folks I do know. They usually’re additionally not like every other designers I’ve met. They don’t elevate their voices, they really need folks to be comfy and in a position to categorical themselves.
“Vaquera invited my husband and I to Paris for his or her first present [a year ago], realizing it will be fairly a giant deal for them at all times having proven in New York. They requested us if we’d make some quick movies for social. We had been there for 4 days, embedded with them within the Comme des Garçons house. After which we got here away after the present, and sat again down collectively in London, we watched all this footage and we had been like, This looks as if it might be various sorts of clips.” We confirmed the ultimate movie to them, and so they had been actually overwhelmed. There have been numerous tears. And that’s how the movie got here to be. We actually wished to say that it’s not this ‘evil-fabulous’ vibe, it’s a really sort, delicate expertise working with them. [You can watch Jack Sunnucks and Juan Palacio’s film here.]
“I feel the style and movie trade has an actual arc, and Vaquera type of rejects narratives about being a designer, as a result of they’re at all times being so sort. They managed to place out a group in Paris twice a yr with out being screaming divas – and that’s unbelievable.”
