Christopher John Rogers Says It in Color

Booth Moore

7 February 2025 at 11:47 am·2-min read

Christopher John Rogers is one of fashion’s finest colorists, and he has made RGBIV a brand signature, as evidenced by the Crayola stripes and hues that lit up the seats of Brooklyn’s Agger Fish Building on Thursday night.

For his return to New York Fashion Week, he continued the conversation with a collection titled “Exhale” that aimed to give back to those very supporters — and remind them that the pursuit of happiness at a time when identity and personhood are being challenged is a form of defiance, as he wrote in the show notes.

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What followed was exuberant as ever, had more daring color combos, but was also grounded, with the designer’s couture-like volumes cut down to size on many looks, including the opener, a cap-sleeve, drop-waist dress with fluted skirt, in the surprising combo of sunshine yellow, coral and burgundy stripes.

Grosgrain ribbons ran through the collection as trim on the hems of peppy trenchcoats, or made into fringey corsages sprouting from the collar of a sexy burnt umber turtleneck knit over a matching micro plissé maxiskirt, and the waistband of tailored olive green trousers paired with an oversized chartreuse shirt as a suit alternative. Fuzzy-wuzzy long-line coats in striking shades like acid yellow-green rounded out the strong tailored options.

Rogers’ modern, playful riffs on corsetry were winning, too. Take the sleeveless cotton top, ruched and asymmetrically buttoned, with lacing in the back, in a brilliant shade of turquoise, which he paired with an olive green draped and over-stitched workwear skirt. A fresh looking piece that would be a gem in any wardrobe.

Launch Gallery: Christopher John Rogers Fall 2025 Ready-to-Wear Collection

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