In April, COS hosted its spring show in Paris, but for AW23, it chose New York – and specifically the backdrop of the Hudson River at sunset – to present its new collection. “It’s such a dynamic city with such personality – it has always been such an amazing place for inspiration,” Karin Gustafsson, creative director of COS, told me ahead of the star-studded show, which saw the likes of Jodie Turner-Smith, Joshua Jackson and Suki Waterhouse in attendance.
Set at the Manhattan Classic Car Club on Tuesday evening, as New York Fashion Week was drawing to a close, the show was a celebration of contrasts, Gustafsson says, and there were more than a few eras of inspiration on her mood board.
“This collection is all about different contrasts – we looked at a lot of variations of silhouettes and then we started to work with deconstructing as a method,” Gustafsson explains. “We took classic pieces and gave updates on the silhouette. For women, everything is a bit more statuesque, but I’d say menswear is actually going in the other direction, it’s a bit softer.”
“We have a bit of Seventies, a bit of Eighties, and then also maybe a little bit of the Thirties – I’m thinking specifically about this fishtail-inspired skirt, where it’s fitted and then flares out lower down.”
The fishtail skirt was one of the more dramatic silhouettes in the collection, which also featured lots of long, swooshy dresses, unique takes on female tailoring and some very, very covetable knitwear (those knitted hoods with peeping ponytails are not going to hang around on the shelves for long).
Within the collection was the latest drop of the COS Atelier line, the third capsule of its kind, which focusses on slightly more luxurious pieces.
“The Atelier line is something that we drop twice a year – it’s a big part of the show,” she says. “It’s a baseline of elevated essentials, really well-made classic pieces that are slightly elevated and updated, and will last a very long time in someone’s wardrobe. Longevity is really important to us.”
Gustafsson says that she has noticed this focus on longevity in the COS customer’s mind, which is the whole reason the Atelier line is here.
“There’s definitely been a change –people are mindful to what they’re buying and customers are thinking more about quality and longevity. You can build a wardrobe that will last a long time, which can be versatile, but it can also show off your personality.”
This collection is the perfect example of that. As Gustafsson says, great capsule dressing is all about having those well-made core pieces and adding in something a little extra, a little more fun. “Take a simple white tee or a cashmere jumper and then mix it up with a statement skirt – add a little drama, some fluidity and seasonality, and learn to combine those pieces in many different ways.”
The COS autumn/winter 2023 collection is available to shop now.
