CHRISTOPHER JOHN RODGERS
BY DORI GRAY
PHOTOS BY ZENNIA LAM
Founder and creative director Christopher John Rogers is 29 going on 30, and his signature designs are flirty and thriving. According to The Cut, he fittingly labels his dramatic-yet-practical aesthetic “pragmatic glamour.”
An alumnus of Savannah College of Art and Design, Rogers’s eponymous brand began with his senior thesis collection. The New York City-based label “exists to create emotional and sensitive clothing with a focus on effortful dressing, directed towards an individual with a strong sense of self,” according to its official website. The clothing has “an emphasis on quality manufacturing and timeless appeal,” and it encourages the customer to “take up space.”
Since graduating with a B.F.A. in fashion in 2016, the Baton Rouge, Louisiana native has amassed numerous accolades, including the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund top prize in 2019, Forbes 30 Under 30 and CFDA American Emerging Designer of the Year in 2020, and CFDA American Womenswear Designer of the Year in 2021. Also in 2021, Rogers was a finalist for the LVMH Prize. He became a member of The BoF 500, a curation of “the people shaping the global fashion industry,” according to The Business of Fashion, in 2022.
Several stylish celebrities have donned noteworthy CJR looks, including Beyoncé, the Hadid sisters, Anne Hathaway, Dua Lipa, Michelle Obama, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Zendaya. For the 2021 presidential inauguration, Rogers designed a custom coordinating coat and dress for Vice President Kamala Harris.
Rogers is not afraid of bright colors or striking patterns. In fact, those are two characteristics that his brand is known for.
“I don't think that the way that you dress should make you sacrifice your personality, or your point of view, or necessarily say anything about your intelligence,” he told NPR.
In 2021, Rogers released a limited edition collection as a part of Target’s 2021 Designer Dress Collection. Audrianna Wilde, a senior studying journalism, models the Christopher John Rogers for Target Long Sleeve Two-tone Shirtdress. Wilde has a strong sense of personal style themself.
“I kind of just pick and choose what I like from everything—as long as it has color in it,” Wilde said.
Christopher John Rogers’s Pre-Fall 2023 collection’s circus-inspired presentation proved clownery and class can coexist. Collection 011, titled “It’s My Party and I’ll Cry If I Want To,” premiered Jan. 6 as stylized images on Vogue Runway.
While the silhouettes were unmistakably Christopher John Rogers, the first six looks were surprisingly pallid for a brand known for its hues. Look 1 consisted of two shades of off-white, “Tortilla” and “Macadamia.” However, the collection had a clear color story, soon journeying through shades like “Algae,” a floral print, and even a hand-embellished black.
“What I’m after is autonomy, the ability to do what I want,” Rogers said, according to Vogue Runway. For him, “the idea of play is paramount.” As a result, models toyed with circusy poses, making use of a classic clown nose and a red latex balloon.
Though some looks purposefully differ from the brand’s norm, Collection 011 is a solid offering. One could attempt to recreate an outfit with smart pattern mixing. Specifically, one could wear a bright, coordinating oversized suit and tie a rainbow-striped sweater at the waist under the open blazer.
Now, it’s your party and you can cry if you want to.
