Bode Collection Analysis
As further brand and market research and the beginning of my collection development I’ve analysed Bode’s past collections from 2018-present, looking at the different materials, techniques and styles being used in order to better understand what makes Bode … Bode.
Spring 2018:
“Spring, plumbed the loveliest of cerebral associations regarding the domestic space: the attic, or le grenier in French. During the collection’s development, Bode went to Peymeinade, France, near Nice, to speak with her uncle’s mother, who moved there after World War II. The woman told Bode that the attic represented her happiest memories—her own mother had resided there, as had her son. Thinking of le grenier—and its protective, internal warmth—gave the woman a sense of completeness. “It ended up being this really beautiful story of coming to terms with mortality,” said Bode.”
- Words of Nick Remsen for Vogue
Designed to invoke emotions of comfort and optimism, this collection is full of colour, texture and life. On display are a variety of patchwork garments, rainwear made from table cloths, beautifully embroidered shirts and striped felt jackets. Beyond the myriad of outrageously coloured prints on vintage (60s) fabrics seen across the collection, what particularly caught my eye was a stone cotton jacket/over-shirt decorated with what looks like lines of punch embroidery using thick wool to create a rug like texture protruding from the garment.
Fall 2018: “Dear Homer”
“Fall was, to that effect, excellent: Vintage striped flannels were cut into shirts or full-bodied trousers, silken bows were fashioned as pseudo-cravats, beading on shirt or jacket edges demonstrated a knowing naïf aesthetic, and loosely topstitched quilting found its way onto a beautiful, almost museum-quality coat. A tiny detail of micro-needlepoint flowering, from a handkerchief, was sewn into the placket of a button-down shirt.”
-Words of Nick Remsen for Vogue
“There’s kind of an Ivy schoolboy look, but with an even younger childhood element”
Looking at the Fall 2018 Collection the brand DNA becomes more apparent as features of the previous collection reemerge. Most notably the continued use of patchwork, lace and embellished/appliqué details. Whilst others have described the bode look as boxy/boyish workwear, I see a much softer and more delicate silhouette. Whilst there are many sharp lines present a number of garment details from pocket flaps to jacket lapels have a smooth, rounded line to them.
Despite it being a fall collection, reflected in muted tones and thicker fabrics there is still an abundance of colour. Notably a look consisting of a loud yellow [lace embellished] striped, single button, wool coat paired with an almost cyan pair of check/tartan trousers. So far my interpretation of Bode is if Alessandro Michele’s Gucci reassembled your grandmothers wardrobe.
Spring 2019:
Inspired by her close friend, the artist Aaron Aujla, this collection is steeped in Indian heritage and influences. Arguably the most striking of which is the use of Bengalese embroideries. Returning features from past collections include; patchwork, lace, bold colours and cuban shirts, embroidery rugby shorts. With the silhouette, it’s more crisp than before with hard lapel and collar shapes and boxier finishes. Having said that, there is still a calming softness to all the looks.
Fall 2019:
For Fall 2019, Emily Bode really stepped up to the plate. One of her largest presentations to date the collection features a wide range of new and recurring techniques and materials. The usual suspects of quilting, patchwork, embroidery, appliqué and cuban collars and workwear based jackets lined up along side knitted scarfs, chunky mittens, PVC rainwear embedded with coins and milk-bottle caps and the first appearance of the now famed senior cords project.
In 1904, Seniors at Purdue University in Indiana started a tradition that would endure for over 60 straight years. According to the legend the seniors were looking in the window of a local tailor who had an overstock of corduroy. They had jackets made and proceeded to personalise them. The tradition evolved to include painted illustrations and patches as well as signatures representing everything from the owners course, graduation year, home town, favourite sports team, etc. Bode has brought this to the global main stage with painstakingly thought through commissions that invoke emotion and a real sense of care and love for both the clothes and her customers.
“Bode is something of an old soul—the 28-year-old designer was born years after Alden graduated from Williams College in the ’80s—and her ability to follow her instincts is a testament to her creative maturity.”
Impressively a large selection of garments in the presentation were made to sufficient quantity to satisfy Bode’s growing number of stock-lists, namely the knitted logo scarfs and shirts. Looking at the range I particularly liked a work-coat that used a simple tied waist belt to give extra shape to the garment along with the senior cords and a shirt printed with black and white film photos. The collection marks Bodes transition from one of a kind and small run garments to a rapidly growing global business that is always true to its mission statement.
Spring 2020:
“It’s about being able to tell that narrative of the historical techniques and fabrications and then [figuring out] how we can bring this to market in larger way”
“The circus storyline that emerged wasn’t arbitrary—and it certainly wasn’t some meta-critique on the state of fashion today. As she explained backstage, ever since launching her craft-centric menswear label nearly three years ago, she has been waiting for the right moment (i.e. sufficient resources) to assemble a collection inspired by her familial ties to a bygone wagon workshop based in Cincinnati that produced ornate creations for Barnum & Bailey and the Ringling Brothers.
And so, out came her big-top characters dressed in creative adaptions of classic workwear, throwback sportswear, and miscellaneous flamboyance. They moved achingly slow in extroverted stylings of color and print, appearing rigid when they could have been animated. Still, they got the point across that Bode is a worthy, independent outlier”
-Words of Amy Verner for Vogue
Bode’s first runway show was a sharp departure from the staple tellings of collections based on New York friends and rooms of the house. Instead focusing on her families past and their connections to the circus. The bold colours were back but this time in more jester-esc stripes (trousers seemingly made from horse ribbons). The biggest change seen, or rather deliberately not seen, in the Spring 2020 collection was that for the first time in Bodes history the ‘vintage’ fabrics were largely not. Rather they were painstakingly created and ethically sourced reproductions. What kept this fact so well disguised was its incorporation with the now expected one of a kind pieces. The change is to be expected. With Bode as a brand having seen commercial growth of 300% from last year, the move from genuine vintage to ethically sourced/environmentally conscious, vintage inspired, fabric is a reflection of the brands need to cater for growing global demand.
Fall 2020: The Education Of Benjamin Bloomstein
With a title straight out of a Wes Anderson Film, Bodes most recent collection is both instantly familiar and a breath of fresh air. The garments and their decoration are more playful. “Can you spot the sweater featuring a wooden bead in the paws of the squirrel next to the words Bode Nuts? Or the zippered mouth of the corduroy bags shaped like fish? Or the sock puppets being worn as actual mittens? Here, it felt as though she was tapping into a childlike approach to creation suited to all ages.” writes Amy Verner in her collection review.
“ Bode was among the finalists for this year’s Woolmark Prize, and she created an outstanding jacket covered in individual crochet fleurettes from Merino wool that was every bit couture-level.”
For this collection Bode returned to a more familiar inspiration point, having “taken the circus to Paris” last season, looking to her friend and collaborator Benjamin Bloomstein (Green River Project LLC Studio) and his upbringing, notably a part where he attended various schools in what at the time was a Shakers village. Yet again the Bode staples were present with updated patterns and colours but there were new silhouettes on display this year. Long woollen coats, full suits and plenty of new knitwear. Unsurprising for the first collection since becoming a finalist for the Woolmark Prize.
Summary:
Looking across Emily Bodes last six collections it is possible to understand the brands DNA, noticing recurring elements and themes as well as hearing the inspiration and story behind each collection. Bode constantly harks back to the past and in particular the history of both her own family and the stories of the people near and dear to her. A focus on craft and the skills of [often pre-industrial] workers keeps each collection fresh, enriching each garment with a deep sentimentality that comes from careful, methodical research and a genuine care for the stories discovered and retold through the fabrics, details and final designs.
“Being innovative doesn’t mean coming up with new techniques. Fashion doesn’t always need to be new. We can look back.”
Sources:
https://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/spring-2018-menswear/bode
https://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/fall-2018-menswear/bode
https://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/spring-2019-menswear/bode
https://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/fall-2019-menswear/bode
https://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/spring-2020-menswear/bode
https://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/fall-2020-menswear/bode