David Hart Men’s Spring 2021

David Hart is nothing if not creative.

The designer is constantly searching for new ways to reinvent himself and keep his business afloat. And faced with a worldwide pandemic where getting funding or orders from retailers was a major challenge, Hart came up with a novel way to keep his name on the New York Fashion Week schedule and flex his artistic muscle at the same time.

So instead of his usual assortment of nostalgia-tinged tailoring, Hart worked with New York artist Peter Halley on what he called “an illustrative collection” based on his artworks. “He creates art in geometric forms and I’ve always been interested in his use of texture and color,” Hart said. Halley opened up his archives digitally to the designer, who then recreated some of his favorite works in “three-dimensional clothing form.”

That included a multicolored sweater featuring squares and lines; patchwork cardigans and topcoats; blazers with abstract geometric shapes, and other recognizable silhouettes, such as basketball shorts and wide-leg trousers sporting unexpected designs in what Hart described as a “seasonless collection.”

In a video that accompanied the collection launch, entitled “Peter Halley Dialogues,” Hart said the pandemic led him to “reflect on what it means to be a fashion designer” and explore “new ways to present the collection.”

Whether the collection is ever produced is up for discussion, Hart said, depending upon Halley’s appetite for extending beyond art into fashion. “It’s nearly impossible to get anything made right now, so we’re having a moment of pause,” Hart said. “But we’ll figure it out.”

Launch Gallery: David Hart Men's Spring 2021

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