There was an uncanny quality to TARPLEY’s presentation. For a collection filled with neutral tones, this collection was surprisingly animated. Something about the way the models moved made me feel like I was being presented with the coolest Fortnite skins I’ve ever seen. Designer Tarpley Brooks Jones tells me my interpretation is not far off, I wanted them to look like memes. He points to a model in a puffy hoodie with shorts, This is the farmer from Tennessee who makes it to fashion week, he then points to a model wearing a tan suit posing with binoculars, a New York real estate investor who goes to Wyoming to scout land. The collection wasn’t just about internet humor. Tarpley, who hails from Tennessee, attended art school in Chicago, and spent years working in Los Angeles, is interested in translating a new vision for America.
The collection is titled Softwear. Tarpley explains that the whole idea is recontextualizing natural garments into technical garments. Everything you see would be used in home wear; blankets or pillows, but here it’s used in a new feel, a new energy. He’s not wrong. The first look in the collection showcases a knit hoodie, it looks soft and bouncy like a cloud. While each look is unique, the collection feels unified in its color palettes as well as the tactility of each look. Despite their comfy demeanor, these clothes maintain a sense of professionality. These are multipurpose, versatile clothes. You could definitely wear this to work, but if you chose to wear it just to lay around on a cloud couch, no one would hold it against you.