The Whitebox Gallery was an appropriately sweaty and intimate setting for Don the Verb’s first Spring/Summer collection. The Lower East Side vintage shop with a devoted fashion following, first started designing a house line less than a year ago and already their sophomore collection has been snatched up by OAK NYC’s showroom. As such, there were high expectations for the line’s design duo, Yana Landsaat and Hanna Astrom, and they did not disappoint.

The tightly edited presentation focused on the concept of Uniform, using a neutral palette of white, black, grey and khaki, a likely allusion to the Parisian avant-garde. Thus, the tone of the looks carried an appropriate mix of international, easy allure that would be relevant anywhere and is as ambiguously charming as Charlotte Gainsbourg’s unplaceable accent. While the colors stayed true to the concept, the loose shapes and draped sleeves on dresses, often featuring a noticeable flat back seam, in cotton oxford shirting and transparent taffetas were strong enough to stand without the reference. Less appealing were a long jersey dress in khaki and a baggy black one-piece with bat-wing sleeves that felt forced and a bit of a caricature for an otherwise modern show.

Other trends included volume along the back referencing Dior or a subdued Balenciaga, particularly noticeable in a white cotton menswear-inspired dress, asymmetrical hems that could easily have gone wrong but looked appropriately flippant and the return of statement making headwear. The hats, designed for the show by talented milliner Ryan Wilde, cut beautiful and dramatic silhouettes, but the cheeky faces were a bit too precious for an otherwise focused show, which not only demonstrated Landsaat and Astrom’s understanding of what today’s young woman wants in design – perhaps experience gained valueably from their vintage retail experience – but also without sacrificing their relaxed version of chic paramount to her mobile lifestyle. By Bee-Shyuan Chang, Photos By Ronen Shapiro.