We’re continuing our look at Paris Fashion Week, focused on new Spring/Summer 2019 collections from brands like Issey Miyake, Hermès, and Sonia Rykiel.
The new Issey Miyake collection by designer Yoshiyuki Miyamae, “Traces of Hands,” was presented in an industrial room flooded with natural light. Live music by singer-songwriter and film composer Hiroko Sebu filled the space as an array of new pieces graced the runway. The brand stated, “The history of mankind has been made by hands,” offering a thread that lead through Spring/Summer 2019. The star was undoubtedly the new flexible cloth called “DOUGH DOUGH.” Playful in nature, it took on new shapes with ease. Gorgeous neutral hues and prints of wavy stripes and paint splatters flowed into more bold blues, purples, and mixed colors for patterns. The brand’s sophisticated promise of comfort and style stayed strong, as dresses, trousers, long jackets, and sleeveless tops hung loosely on the body—some tied in large knots, with extra material hanging like delicate, droopy petals. Hats were a big “yes” for us, too, as one in cloth came in several shapes, and another made of straw was intricately woven with frazzled ends. Additionally, the brand continued its footwear collaboration with United Nude for its fifth season, presenting two new styles.
Courtesy of Issey Miyake.
“The Odyssey” by Hermès was a celebration of a show at the Hippodrome de Longchamp—seen on a polished concrete runway. On one side, the set was lined with mirrored glass panels, and on the others, guests sat on raised seats looking down on the collection. Between sky and land, a sailor and a saddler, the new Hermès wearer doesn’t have to choose. Leather mesh was paired by techno-spartan sandals, and a sailor’s smock was transformed into a parka. Barénia jackets and those made of delicate lambskin were paired with lightweight shorts; leather overall skirts hunng low with cropped tops; sleeveless dresses with large pockets had lace-up fronts, paired with bucket bags; closed cape-like shirts were connected with ball-and-chain-like clasps; striking bold pantsuits were cinched on the sides and closed by a silver zipper; and jackets were adorned with buttons created by artist Laurence Owen, some oxidized seemingly by an adventure by the sea.
Sonia Rykiel’s new collection was a warm celebration of versatile women. Presented by Artistic Director of the house, Julie de Libran, outside on the Alée Sonia Rykiel, guests sat in stadium seats and felt the Parisian lifestyle linger, and then pass by. The brand’s emphasis on creating ease from day to night dressing was seen with women carrying market bags (like the new Baltard Basket and Market Bag) full of vegetables and baguettes, dressed in flexible attire. Versatility and function were seen in knits and leather—wrapped, slouched, draped, and sliced for a thrown-together or borrowed look, following de Libran’s “Sunday Rules” style of dressing. Exuding playfulness and joy, bright colors, stripes, and cut-outs were seen on nearly all models, which included kids with their parents, and dogs, too. It was difficult to point out what was missing—as we keenly noticed nighttime dresses worn under coats, macramé skirts with long fringe, and sandals, platforms, and heels. The versatile women of today wear many, many hats.
Courtesy of Issey Miyake.
