A dress, a jumpsuit, and a coat. That’s all designer Aaron Potts presented for his spring 2027 collection. And yet, within that extremely limited range, Potts was able to spin out a rather expansive, jubilant proposition, one that had a surprising amount of spirit and versatility.
“I’ve been thinking a lot about how creative people live and work,” the designer said from a studio at Berkley College, where he’s a resident artist. “And one of the things that has kept coming up for me is that most of the people who buy A. Potts are some sort of artist—they’re designers, they’re models, they’re DJs, writers, painters—and the jumpsuit has been the standout item that everyone wants or has. So we were like, ‘You know what? Let’s focus on that.’”
The jumpsuit—with its dropped crotch, zippered front placket, and tie-waist—came in various patterns, like a pink-to-black, splattered ombré, black-and-white scribbled sketches, or a densely woven, blown-up pattern in slime green. The coat, with its dropped three-quarter length sleeves and zippered side vents, was made in corresponding motifs. The dress had a historical bent, with its slim bodice and fuller peasant-style skirt and detachable bell sleeves. From just a trio of garments—Potts seems to have seen Donna Karan’s five easy pieces and wanted to whittle it down even further—came a cohesive case for it being a full wardrobe.
With the bombastic prints there was enough space for the clothes to be bold, yet their loose shapes promised comfort. Their apparent simplicity belied a certain ingenuity—those jumpsuits could be cinched at the waist with a quick flick of the side bungee, and the coat could go from long and lean to open and dynamic, should you just unzip those side vents. Potts suggested adding a sash at the waist or even wearing the jumpsuit open with a bandeau or bralette for something a bit more daring. “I believe in clothes that work for all bodies,” he said, noting the jumpsuits go from extra-small to XXL, and come in a washed cotton so they could be worn year-round and washed with ease.
And imagine the surprise of that jumpsuit with smooshed organza ruffles running in strips down the front and sleeves—evening workwear! With a black coat in the same cotton, it felt fresh, a formal option that had a tossed-off ease and even a bit of humor. The dress was also made from full organza, but in the neon chartreuse it still had that spirit of the unexpected. You could picture where an artist would wear this—to work in the studio all day, to run errands, even to an event at night—and understand its instant appeal. A lot of designers should challenge themselves to think smaller like this.
“It’s funny because we always have these conversations about luxury, and I did a collection that’s probably 90% cotton,” Potts said. “I’ve been talking a lot about us needing these new definitions, so our version of luxury is about beautiful prints. It’s very thoughtful embroideries. A lot of work goes into these and that’s a form of luxury that’s not just about the fiber. Everything luxury doesn’t have to be cashmere. Sometimes luxury is the thought process.”
