The label blends soft sensuality and sculptural forms for AW25, building its foundations through intellectualism and staples for the everyday.
OVER THE past few years, Sportmax has nailed down its fuss-free formula for churning out clothes that are practical yet polished – and fashion-forward without being too trendy.
For Fall, it continued to please with an easy, breezy collection that tapped into this season’s pared-back mood, with maximalist hints scattered around the lineup. The latest lineup opened with a slew of fresh black separates that combined longline panels with fringed trims. Like a lot of items in the collection, it would be just the thing to wear on a sunny walk uptown.
Frayed hemlines and soft, neutrally-toned fabrics gave the clothes a worn-in appeal, so pieces like a denim trompe l’oeil made with unique weaving techniques that create the serged illusion seemed like they’d already been in your wardrobe for years. But as far as neutral glory goes, it’s hard to top a baggy blouson, which was distressed and trimmed to perfection.
Elsewhere, the label confidently experimented with denim in the form of tailored and cut-up styles—which forayed, in turn, into unexpected yet familiar shapes. Enveloping faux-fur coats evoke another illusion of a crocodile made in short-haired jacquard and wisps of feather-like plumage that airily flow in motion.
Meanwhile, experimental leather pieces are juxtaposed with ultra-soft bonded fleece for added warmth or stamped in sumptuous textured python; while a fully-fashioned knit suit is engineered as a dynamic alternative to classic suiting.
If all that felt like a simple addendum for a label known for its accessible femininity, Sportmax has kept leaning on in a simpler, more refined direction of late. It seems to be working too: the accessories and knee-high boots are poised to be top sellers. On the other side of the coin, the house has been building out its fancier, evening-geared looks, too.
They introduced applications of fringe to add texture and dimension to coats, dresses and scarves, either laser-cut or created with a rare method that slashes into the pattern itself. That said, the billowing dresses were even more appealing in the wear-anywhere versatility. All of this suggests that Sportmax’s tide continues to rise.
by Chidozie Obasi