It may be frightening to think about, but this generation of young kids are robbed of many simple life pleasures, like stumbling come across old movies on cable television. “When we millennials were young, we would just sit at home and watch old movies that came on TV,” reminisced designer Sergio Hudson. It’s true: Today, streaming services make choosing a film that much easier. There’s less spontaneity in the process, and less opportunity to come across unexpected gems you’d never watch otherwise. One such film—1967’s Valley of the Dolls, chronicling the rise and fall of three women in show business—happened to serve as the main inspiration for Hudson’s new spring collection. “I loved that movie—I used to watch it every time it came on,” he said. “It’s so campy!”
If the designer took one aesthetic from the cult classic, it was most definitely the color palette. With the original costuming all set around a pastel cotton-candy fever dream of looks, Hudson wanted to apply the same sugary palette to his signature tailored suits, knit dresses, and evening gowns. “I’ve been in a dark place this year, so the color really lifted me,” he said. His double-breasted suits—always cut to perfection—came in lovely shades of lilac or robin egg blue. The sleeves were also given more of a pulled-up silhouette, for an added sense of fun and ease. “I wanted to offer some easier jackets, because my jackets are always so cinched and structured,” said Hudson. His relaxed evening looks, like a knit tee tucked into a high-waisted silk skirt, were done in butter yellow. They looked almost good enough to eat.
Something fresh for the designer, meanwhile, was his foray into menswear. He felt it was time to introduce some pieces for him. “I’m always dressing women and their husbands go, ‘When are you making clothes for me?’ I’ve been hearing that for years,” said Hudson. His assortment felt perfectly in tune with the womenswear: he created pale pink single-breasted suits, minty green draped tops, and navy sequin tees—not your Average Joe pieces. “I really wanted to present something new and fresh, and [show] that we have range,” said Hudson.
Given the 1960s reference of the Dolls, Hudson also experimented with more retro silhouettes, another first for him. This came through via Peter Pan collars and capped sleeves, added onto a double-breasted buttoned dress (very Mad Men) or floor-length sequin gown. Hudson said he isn’t a big fan of shimmer—but if he was paying homage to the Dolls, a little shine was a must. (Don’t miss the white long-sleeves sequin gown on ’90s supermodel Veronica Webb). “I’m more of a matte fabric person,” he said. “I like to call this minimal—but grand.”
