“Opulent American sportswear” were the first words out of Sergio Hudson’s mouth, getting right to the point. Hudson is proudly an American designer, naming the big three titans of American sportswear — Calvin Klein, Donna Karan and Ralph Lauren — as guides. And while he has dressed former First Lady Jill Biden, former Vice President Kamala Harris, Blake Lively and numerous other celebrities, at the end of the day he really thinks about average women and what they need for full lives. “This is an oath to those women. I feel sometimes they have to wear a uniform and I’m trying to give them options to where they can have fun.”
What adds more joy then color, which is where Hudson sings. Hudson carved his niche on incredible suiting and bright tones. As he likes to do, he went monochromatic with bright hues and here he went even a bit more mannish, with pinstripe three-piece suits or adding ties and cummerbunds to a sizzling red opening look with a bit of a chic Marlene Dietrich vibe. He topped looks with plush Mongolian fur coats or luscious mohair double-breasted ones. It was easy to see his pieces standing out at the next Met Gala theme: “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style.”
Texture was bumped up, with Aran-style knits, a blue tweed skirt suit and lots and lots of leather options — on corsets, separates and shells, it too was in color. He sprinkled in a few male models again, but it’s not a launch of a category as he only does custom for now. “We’re still playing with it. I’m not ready to take it full into market yet, but I want people to know that we’re building to a full lifestyle brand.”
His high volume take on American fashion made the models look like they were standing in their power, the highest compliment a garment can give any woman in today’s world.
