Gabriela Hearst has a unique approach to her work. She has a passion for shining a light on women who have not received the recognition they deserve. In her latest collection for the Fall/Winter 2023 season, she was inspired by the life and work of Eileen Gray, an Irish artist, architect, and furniture designer.
Eileen Gray was a pioneer of the Modernist movement in the 1920s and had a profound impact on the world of design. Her Dragon chair, which was owned by Yves Saint Laurent, sold for 20 million euros in 2009, setting a record for a piece of 20th-century furniture. She had her own store in Paris named after an imaginary male owner, Jean Desert, which catered to some of the biggest names in the art world, including Elsa Schiaparelli, Ezra Pound, and James Joyce.
Gabriela Hearst was inspired by Eileen Gray’s austerity in both her home and furniture designs, as well as her paintings. This translated into a minimalist moment in Hearst’s collection, featuring menswear-inspired tailoring, outerwear made from recycled double-face cashmere, and napa leather shirt jackets. The designer’s use of soft, touchable fabrics and a palette of red, white, chocolate brown, mustard yellow, cream, and charcoal was also inspired by Gray’s weavings.
Hearst’s collaboration with the women’s collective Manos del Uruguay produced an ivory cable turtleneck sweater and hand-knit dress that were so luxurious they could be used as coats. On the other end of the spectrum, a striped pleated trench, button-down shirt, and flared pant look was a refined take on knit dressing.
The designer also worked with leather, creating a black napa artisanal puzzle pieced coat that was truly next-level. And for dress-up nights, Hearst created silk cady cutout gowns in white or black, with custom hardware molded to the hips. The metalwork on the gowns was inspired by Gray’s famous E1027 side table, a testament to Hearst’s understanding of how materials can drive her creations.
