PARIS – Jonathan Anderson, it seems, can do no wrong. Loewe’s Northern Irish designer’s imaginative and groundbreaking designs are often cited by front row editors as the best, if not the best, gracing the Paris catwalks today.
And Saturday’s fall collection, with its splinters of plaster lining the edges of the set, only confirms that. It sent the traditional Spanish house – and its VIP guests – into an unbalanced, exposed world of the Old Masters, childhood, vulnerability and dreams.
Here are some highlights of the Autumn-Winter 2023-24 exhibitions:
THE SENSITIVE GENIUS FROM LOEWE
A stunning painting of a schoolboy – half-naked in his underwear, tie around his neck, reclining in a classic pose – dominated the central part of the runway theater in the round.
What followed made the significance of the art clearer—golden angel wings, oversized sunken medieval boots, silk historical bodices that unbuttoned at the back, in the hues of parchment, velvet, copper, and steel.
Immersed in the world of the Old Masters, Anderson had recreated the vulnerability of oil painting masterpieces in a contemporary way – with sensitivity, flair and understated visual drama.
The looks were intentionally incomplete – bare torsos on shimmering loose gold shorts, pale leg underwear with some sort of codpiece, tall leather boots with no pants. This broken, raw incompleteness of the young male models – much like the shards of plaster crunching under guests’ feet – gave the collection an emotional depth and evoked a sense of vulnerability and innocence.
Anderson infused the 48 looks with a surrealism that was kept in check by his unflinchingly minimalist aesthetic and clean color blocking.
A royal shimmering lavender silk top features draped detailing, while long, layered sleeves evoke the style of period attire.
The Pieces of Resistance? Two exaggeratedly thick cloaks of cork and cerulean in the Elizabethan style, pulled up at the hem like parachutes and worn over a naked body.
HERMES: “YOU GOT ME IN THE LEATHER DITCH”
The models walked through an interlocking construction of gray slate rock – created to reflect the austere floor at UNESCO Headquarters.
It was a good choice as it reflects the slightly tougher, utilitarian direction for Hermes this season at the UN agency.
A sublime trench coat in soft gray leather opened up – probably chosen for its matching color – with classic loose proportions, casually tied belt and punk metal clasp.
“You had me in the leather trench coat,” was one editor’s comment from the front row, as the lush garment seemed to encapsulate the entire collection.
Hermes has become the epitome of purchasable, unpretentious – and unadulterated – luxury.
A pair of black leather trousers received a subtle twist with a small metal chain at the hip. While broad masculine torsos, rounded shoulders and sensitive tonal colors – grey, white, cream, beige – belie designer Veronique Nichanian’s confidence.
She knows she doesn’t need to add more than a small twist to the tried-and-true formula for the house she’s run since 1988.
Nichanian has become Parisian fashion’s longest-serving non-founding designer since the death of Chanel’s Karl Lagerfeld in 2019. She proved again why.
KENZO’S PARTY
A 1,000-seat music hall with a string quartet ensemble, an after-party where the drinks flowed like in ancient Rome, and musical performances by celebrities sang well into Friday night.
This left Kenzo in a confident mood – signaling that the new designer was growing in his own spotlight.
It’s been a year since Nigo made history as the first Japanese designer since the death of Kenzo Takada in 2020.
And in this fall collection, he honed his craft—slightly—and stepped out of the shadow of the house founder.
The music scene was at the heart of an exhibition of styles focused on London’s underground subcultures of the 1960s and 70s, such as punk and mods. It was a sort of counter-appropriation of the West through a Japanese prism. (The string quartet consisted of Japanese artists dressed as the Beatles in light-colored suits.)
Nigo disrupted this wardrobe with traditional Japanese clothing.
A take on British tailoring, a loose beige jacket was envisioned with a crossover kimono style. Sartorial pants, made of material that might look appropriate for the City of London, became a take on the traditional baggy hakama pants.
The preppy styles – ones that stood out in Nigo’s last two shows – were more elaborate, like a Boy Scout scarf in a multicolored knit, although it still felt a bit obvious.
Bold colors that buoyed American workwear and utilitarian details provided a nice counterpoint.
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