Narciso Rodriguez A/W 2018

Left, a navy wrap trench with a statement belt. Right, tailored straight trousers paired with a layered V-cut blouse — Narciso Rodriguez A/W 2018

(Image credit: Narciso Rodriguez)

Mood board: It’s hard to believe that it’s been twenty years since Narciso Rodriguez’s take on minimalism and femininity first came to be. To properly celebrate, Rodriguez released a capsule collection of revisited and reworked archive designs at Barneys last week. For his latest collection however, the designer only looked forward. Armed with a succinct 17 looks, Rodriguez proved to be in his element with garments that seemed fluid, yet provided an architecture for the human form. Using a restrained palette of black, white, bronze and moss, Rodriguez allowed the integrity and design of the garments to simply speak for themselves.

Scene setting: Narciso Rodriguez is renowned for his sleek and minimalist take on womenswear. True to his elegant and unfussy aesthetic, the collection which came after his twentieth annivesary celebration, was presented to a tiny audience at his showroom.

Best in show: Rodriguez might be best known for his figure skimming dresses, but this season, a more androgynous aesthetic took hold. From the addition of dolman sleeves to an oversized coat to the presence of a nonchalant slouchiness in a two-tone jumpsuit, this masculine quality gave the collection a modern sexiness and seductive appeal.

Left sees an oversized red wool coat with a layered camel dress. Right, a geometric sleeveless dress — Narciso Rodriguez A/W 2018

Left sees a monochrome stripe coat and matching high-neck sweater. Right, a minimalist boxy tee with a bold striped skirt — Narciso Rodriguez A/W 2018

Left, a colour block zip sweater with bright-white trousers. Right, a turquoise tunic matched with slouchy olive trousers — Narciso Rodriguez A/W 2018

Left sees a white embellished V-neck blouse. Right, a flowing cold-shoulder dress — Narciso Rodriguez A/W 2018

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Pei-Ru Keh is a former US Editor at Wallpaper*. Born and raised in Singapore, she has been a New Yorker since 2013. Pei-Ru held various titles at Wallpaper* between 2007 and 2023. She reports on design, tech, art, architecture, fashion, beauty and lifestyle happenings in the United States, both in print and digitally. Pei-Ru took a key role in championing diversity and representation within Wallpaper's content pillars, actively seeking out stories that reflect a wide range of perspectives. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two children, and is currently learning how to drive.