Bode Presents a Snapshot of 1976 America at Paris Fashion Week FW23

Emily Adams Bode Aujla can’t be pigeonholed. Upon launching her eponymous label Bode in 2016, the designer swiftly garnered cult status as the New York darling of contemporary menswear thanks to her nostalgic, feminine-tinged take on heritage workwear. Think: boxy shirts constructed from reproductions of antique textiles; childlike doodles scribbled onto corduroy trousers; vintage quilts patchworked into jackets. Bode’s refreshingly offbeat approach won over the influential East Coast fashion community. But with the brand’s quickly growing buzz, it was only a matter of time before Bode’s distinct vision spread.

Fast forward to 2023 and Bode can claim two CFDA awards (Best Emerging Designer in 2019 and Best Menswear Designer in 2021), flagship stores in both New York and Los Angeles and a robust roster of clientele that includes Harry Styles, Justin Bieber, Bella Hadid and Jordan Peele. Indeed, Bode Aujla’s formula for success lies in her ability to go against the grain in a market dominated by blink-and-you’ll-miss-it TikTok trends, influencer-endorsed fast-fashion and manufactured glam. As industry figureheads look to technology, futurism and mass appeal as a commercial means of survival, Bode Aujla retains a loyal consumer base by fusing artisan techniques with old-world sartorial sensibilities, while confidently knowing exactly who she’s designing for. 

For Fall/Winter 2023, Bode returned to the Paris Fashion Week calendar with yet another watershed moment: a debut womenswear collection—something the designer first hinted at when she dressed Lorde for the Met Gala in 2021. Held at the Théâtre du Châtelet, the collection pays homage to her mother Janet Rice’s experience working at a grand estate in 1976 Woods Hole, Massachusetts. A few days ahead of the much-anticipated runway show, Bode Aujla sat down to discuss her decision to venture into womenswear, disrupting the codes of masculine style and the brand’s ambitious retail expansion.