London-based darling Michael Halpern has been making high-wattage, disco-glam clothes ever since he graduated from Central Saint Martins in 2016. His brand is practically synonymous with bold sequins and ’70s sparkle (a delight to see on the red carpet), so it was a treat to see the designer apply that same dazzling energy to his latest collab with J Brand.
First seen on his Fall 2020 runway during London Fashion Week, the 9-piece J Brand x Halpern collection sees the New York-born designer reinterpret J Brand’s classic fits with his signature sense of shine and opulence. The offering comprises of six bottoms in denim, coating, and leather, along with three jackets, including one striking patent leather balloon-sleeve trench.
Photos courtesy of J Brand
Halpen, who was honored with the Womenswear Emerging Talent prize by the British Fashion Council in 2017, has already teamed up with the likes of Topshop and Christian Louboutin. J Brand, meanwhile, counts Simone Rocha, Proenza Schouler, and Christopher Kane as past designer collaborators.
“This collaboration has given me the opportunity to express myself in a way I haven’t previously,” he said in a statement. “It was so exciting to be able to use such incredible materials, like J Brand’s brilliant eco foil denim and embossed leather snakeskin, to create a capsule collection epitomizing the Halpern aesthetic: true glamour whilst kissing classic Americana.”
