BRYN TAUBENSEE, CLAIRE SULLIVAN AND PATRIC DICAPRIO
Vaquera, the label helmed by Bryn Taubensee, Claire Sullivan and Patric Dicaprio, has continued to prove that there’s power to be found in a design collective, especially when that’s translated into tailored, avant-garde silhouettes, peppered with puns and social commentary. Since its inception in 2013, the Brooklynbased label has evolved from underground art project to esoteric street couture, while retaining the raw emotion and deliberate point of view that won over its early fans. The designers have spoken candidly about how press and industry accolades don’t always equate to a viable future. Despite being finalists for the CFDA/VOGUE Fashion Fund in 2017, the trio had planned to release only a lookbook for their A/W20 collection, due to a lack of resources. ‘But as fashion week neared, our PR team connected us with Dover Street Market New York and they offered their space to us. The idea was a small presentation, but it spiralled into a full-fledged guerilla show. That energy felt reminiscent of our earliest shows.’ The collection, which pitted multilayered dresses in sombre black against sequined trousers and jackets in camouflage print, struck a resounding chord with its balance of fantasy and fatality. ‘It’s hard to imagine now, but we felt we were at a dead end,’ they say. A/W20 was about ‘channelling our feelings of uncertainty into passion and motivation, which in turn lent itself to a powerful collection’. With renewed energy, they are forging ahead on a collection for S/S21. vaquera.nyc