Before going into more details about the R13’s pre-fall 2024 collection, I’d like to point out something that really – mildly put -shocked us into a new reality. AI generated fashion shows?! How very very daring, Chris Leba, and how very right now! Yeah – we all should know by now that this is the way the fashion world is going… AI generated everything. Scarry, yes, but also unavoidable.
Chris Leba, the creative force behind R13, takes us on a rebellious journey back to the brand’s core DNA in the Pre-Fall 2024 collection.
Leba’s latest creations showcase the brand’s signature aesthetic, blending the past, present, and future. The collection not only pays homage to R13’s roots but also challenges traditional fashion norms through innovative designs and a rebellious spirit. The lookbook itself features a juxtaposition of in-real-life ready-to-wear against an AI-generated runway show and backstage scene, emphasizing the brand’s commitment to pushing boundaries.
True to R13’s ethos of subversive modernization, the collection takes classic heritage codes, such as the trucker jacket, and reinvents them with bold twists. Cropped styles with removed collars and center zippers, internal double layers of shearling, and elongated versions with exaggerated tan leather collars showcase Leba’s avant-garde approach to design. The juxtaposition of traditional tweed in black leather and punky cone hardware adds a rebellious edge to the collection.
The theme of the “yin and yang of the future and past meeting right here in the present” resonates throughout the collection. An enveloping black leather anorak, a tweed boxy jacket in slick black leather with punky cone hardware, and classic boyfriend Oxfords with collars turned inward exemplify this juxtaposition. An argyle mohair sweater vest with paint splatters serves as a nod to the underground ethos of “turning the establishment upside down.”
Leba also reintroduces signature text and graffiti-inspired graphics in the Pre-Fall 2024 collection. Whether needle-punched or individually stamped and screen-printed onto chunky knits and grungy t-shirts, these graphics capture the “angsty” core of R13. The assortment, complemented by neutral-toned grungy floral and overdyed plaid layers, showcases the brand’s commitment to pushing boundaries and challenging the status quo.
You can shop for R13 from the current fall/winter 2023 collection at Nordstrom, Shopbop, and at NET-A-PORTER.
