Spotlight on Cohen’s Fall 2023 Collection

Jonathan Cohen’s fall collection started by watching a bouquet of peonies bloom within his Upper East Side boutique.

“I loved watching and monitoring the process; we called the collection ‘The Birth of the Peony,’” he told WWD. The peony was rendered in multiple stages (and forms) across the collection — in the form of painterly motifs atop beautiful dresses and matching sets; as colorful 3D floral appliqués (made from fabric scraps) atop a denim bustier and flounced skirt, and exploded across his exceptional knitwear (a la drippy jacquard jumpers, skirts and easy dresses, as well as artisanal rainbow crochet numbers made in Peru with deadstock cotton).

Cohen added he loved the contrast between the blooming motifs and his blurred lip and eye prints,  taken from transferred watercolor paintings on paper towels (which he originally created in 2017). The playful yet artful print was rendered on a textured jacquard in the form of a bustier cocktail dress and dramatic cape with bulbous sleeves, as well as a voluminous dress.

Across the collection, Cohen added ample youthful silhouettes — as seen from an expanded assortment of leather pieces made in partnership (for the second season) with Evolved by Nature, including harness belts, bustiers with trousers, and skin-baring numbers. Next to his dressier fare of cocktail dresses, tiered skirts with sweaters, voluminous evening layers, the assortment offered a nice balance between the sweet and edgy, amplified by Cohen’s bright hues, precise cuts and artisanal details.