Tiffany Brown of Tiffany Brown Designs is known for her fitted and breathable ensembles. She uses a different color for her collection each season based on the color’s connotations and meanings. The Spring Summer 2022 collection is named Lavender in response to the trauma many have experienced at the hands of police brutality and COVID-19. Brown chose the color theme to counter the pain of recent events.  

“Lavender means relaxation and promotes self care,” Brown said. 

R&B duo JNA performed “Heavy Weapons” live at the fashion show, contributing to a casual but refined atmosphere for the event. The venue, painted white with pops of green from the potted plants lining the runway, left ample room for the colorful designs to follow.

Brown uses material such as cotton and tulle to make clothes flexible and breathable. She also aims to embrace luxury in every design. Accordingly, the looks struck a careful balance between high fashion and comfort as the models paraded down the runway. Cotton suits were paired with white sneakers. A model wearing a hoodie dress strutted down the runway in nude heels. A tiered lace dress was layered over a cotton polo. Silhouettes, though form-flattering, left plenty of room for the movement of the fabric — most dresses were cinched at the waist and sweatpants were wide-cut. 

In the same vein, hair and makeup were polished but natural, giving models healthy sunkissed looks. However, some models wore ski masks made of lavender netting as a nod to the pandemic. 

Although all outfits followed the lavender theme, the array of looks this season was by no means uniform. A flared tulle maxi skirt screamed childhood ballerina-wannabe all grown up, seconds after a minidress with a feather skirt ruffled past the audience.

“I’d like to open up to different genres and different types of people,” Brown said, noting that fashion will always be very individualistic. 

While unisex suiting did offer this collection a degree of androgyny, it was also the extent of men’s clothing featured this season. The rest of the women’s clothing was stereotypically feminine, limiting the wearer’s ability to express their gender. Furthermore, despite the body positivity that fashion has embraced in recent years, the show only included models of the same thin and athletic body type.

Overall, while each piece in Brown’s SS22 collection was attractive, trendy and wearable, the brand still has more work to do to create a distinct creative identity. Given the limitations of using only one or two colors per season, a decision to establish a unique signature style could let the brand stand out even more to potential customers. Still, the combination of luxury and streetwear this season makes clear the brand’s potential, leaving fashion week attendees anticipating the next show.

Contact Con Xie at [email protected].