Game Of Thrones Season 3: A Fashion Review

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The heart of the collection battles a harsh and unforgiving winter with heavy textures, salt and pepper pelts from nature’s sturdiest and most endangered wolves and hare. Cinching bulging furred volume with sturdily tied artisanal leather belts and calf-high boots (surely rooted in Weiss’ time working under Rick Owens), the pair turn a frozen tundra into a runway fit for Norse warriors.

At the opposite pole of Benioff and Weiss’ fictional realm exists a land of luxury where fine jacquards and gently sloping, yet embellished shoulders belie an undertone of incestuous deviance. Appearing minimal from a far, a closer eye on the garments and subtle patterns of the ruling class reveals an intricate lattice of hand-woven fabrics and gilded details. History is omnipresent in the garments, but through careful handiwork it is often obscured and reworked, its full power hidden beneath an elegant veneer.

Shoulders continue across the duo’s elaborate map, manifesting in the arid east as the aggressively peaked armor of nomadic warriors, though refined and hardly battle worn, done here in Horween chromexcel with hand-hammered hardware. Rooted in Middle Eastern tradition, the pair add a refined futuristic look at the leaders of desert warfare, reminding us that no soldier is as simple as his given task.

Inspired too by the deep mythical history of the east, innovative yet simple headwear is seen throughout the collection. On the stealthy bounty-hunter, a fitted, midweight knit headpiece is anchored by a quilted vest with leather straps, inspired no doubt by traditional hunting gear from Barbour and other western staples.

In the women’s line headwear was less practical, but far more ornamental, relying on elaborate folds to display the luminescent sheen of the fabric.

Though the wardrobe of the aristocracy is mostly understated, the collection recognizes the breed of younger, fancier nobles who prefer to flaunt their tumescent luxuriousness a bit more freely. Here, billowing sleeves reach around and a bold rose brooch bursts from behind the constricting, but no-less-fabulous, traditional jacket.

Even in sport this new young nobility favors armor that balances masculine leather fixtures with delicate emerald jacquard. Shown juxtaposed against a servant’s attire, Benioff and Weiss highlight both the regality of their highest reaches and their commitment to a world where even the lower classes dress with a simple elegance.

For the more distinguished members of the fictional political elite, brooches too serve as one of the few male accessories. Not competing with a mess of mewelry, a silver bird may stand proportionately visible upon the canvas of a forest green smock, balanced by a simple leather belt.

A larger brooch is needed to stand out on a more sinister garment. For example, this ominously detailed jacket of black, patterned leather and wool, one of the collection’s statement pieces.

Though the collection centers around the high-born, Benioff and Weiss continue to give due respect to the sartorial traditions of the realm’s lower classes. Highlighting the durability and ubiquity of leather as the armor of the people, the team presents a youthful take on familiar garments. Leather vests in both black and brown are hastily belted, accepting their fine craftsmanship as necessity and preserving sprezzatura as one of the few pleasures of peasant life.

Higher up the ranks, royal servants favor leather with a bit more style, choosing studded embellishments that hint at punk and military overtones, even if the majority of their sword swinging takes place in the bedroom.

Surprising critics, the duo’s presentation ended with a small selection of children’s looks, though any youthful charm was buried in the details—a nonchalant knot fastening a dirty, but delicate cape to a boy’s slight shoulders—as in this world even the youth must journey for their survival.

Knits and leathers again form layers of protection against an unforgiving landscape, but the fits here are looser and less precise, obscuring the lost innocence of childhood and providing room to grow into uncertain adulthood.

The show’s final piece encapsulated the entirety of the designers’ expansive but precise world: a baklava of thin, veiled layers, alike in tone but unique in the detailed patterns of light and dark. A smart, light wool vest topped tattered black lace, reminding us that even in a foreboding and uncertain future, practical moments of simple elegance may be the only pleasures left.