Open Studio: Duckie Brown

"Opposites attract" would be the force driving the new Duckie Brown collection, set to be presented tomorrow on the first day of New York Fashion Week. Steven Cox and Daniel Silver, the creative partners behind the brand, felt the need to explore the essence of their own label after a successful foray into more commercial grounds via a capsule line for Perry Ellis which debuted last Spring.

"Duckie Brown is very, very personal," Silver says. "It's our own work, and it's our laboratory of exploration. We have been really lucky to do whatever we like for 11 years." The pair admits that Duckie Brown is more than ever a creative outlet for them. "Last season was the first time we did Perry Ellis, and it was a little overwhelming for me to do both collections at the same time," Cox confesses. "Something happened with Duckie Brown: it became this magical thing. This year, it's a very pure, very edited Duckie Brown."

For Fall 2013, the designers decided to go against the conventional use of fabrics. A line of statement coats and textured sweaters play into a concept of "heavy over light": the lining is made with fabrics traditionally found on outerwear, while the shells are made with unusually thick material. "If you go back and look at our previous collections, there is a progression," Silver says. "It's based on doing the opposite of what is expected. There are certain rules in the construction of a garment, and what we try to do is explore and extend the rules."

Finishing his sandwich, Cox adds "I didn't know what would happen when you put something heavy over something light. Maybe it doesn't fit the way it should, and it might look ill-fitted, but that's what I love to do and that's what Duckie Brown is about."

Watch a slideshow of the model fittings here.