Ricardo Seco looks to his heritage with a nudge and wink for AW16.

Downtown NY…via Mexico

Self taught Mexican designer Ricardo Seco has long mined his heritage for inspiration and this season was no exception. In particular, the historic serape was given the Seco treatment, rendered in vibrant rainbow tones and draping full length to the knees. Underneath it was off-kilter chic, with an abundance of rollnecks worn tucked into cropped pants, acres of white sock on show. Elsewhere, knits (some in a sparkling Lurex-like affair) hung over the arms and trousers followed suite, pooling over shoes in Raf-ish folds.

Satirical Sting 

Plainer garments like black coats or a leather perfecto were offset by fluffy, brightly hued collars or paneled with that recurring rainbow motif that read like a plea not to take this whole downtown style thing too seriously. This kind of design irreverence shined through especially strong in one explicitly political piece: a sweatshirt reading “I’m Mexico / Who is Trump?” It was a fitting emblem for a collection that’s clearly proud of its root, but never earnestly so. It was none too short on wearable pieces either – no bad thing from time to time.

Photographer: Hatnim Lee