We’re continuing our look at Paris Fashion Week, with presentations from Thom Browne, Miu Miu, and Isabel Marant.
Thom Brown, as preppy and daring as ever, presented his Fall/Winter 2019 collection by first trailing out a series of eleven looks that were identical—a grey pantsuit under a khaki two-button coat, paired with a black tie, black Oxford shoes, eyeglasses, and a briefcase. A close look at who was wearing the garb, though, cleared up any confusion: elven people were wearing the same thing, and they were men and women of all races. Perhaps that was the designer’s way of grabbing our attention, and making it deliberately known that this exact look looks good on everyone. The outlandish, as usual, followed. A three-dimensional denim-like dress was stitched as if it were a multi-layer suit and jacket combination, topped with thick columns of fur around the wrists and false jacket endings; another illusionistic one trailed behind, this time in a grey fabric with silver dotted detailing; and a handful of models walked with a monocle prolonged from the back of their head to over their eye, and a black handbag clasped tight in the shape of a dog. Structured Chesterfield coats and blazers were paired with trousers and ties, too, and a new take on the designer’s plaids and stripes. Happily, we caught a glimpse of some fun new tweed jackets (again, in the fun, three-dimensional trickery) in red, white, and blue, paired with equally-fun shoes with large-than-life bows in the same colors, and new takes on prints with florals and ducks.
Miu Miu took stage with an AMO-designed set yet again, translating the work of Sharna Osborne into a collage that explored the power of image through varying media. Some of the photographer’s personal image collection was displayed on screens through the show to provide an angle of femininity in new light. As models walked, we saw flashes of short clips on old TV screens, long clips of new LED screens, and a multitude of giant prints on models walking past. Some favorites included the camouflage (seen on long and short hoodies, overcoats, scarves, and ultra-furry on a top coat) and sweet floral prints and detailing on black, white, navy blue, and blush pink dresses, tops, jackets, and skirts. A new range of shoes were seen, too, including boots, ballet flats, and heels of all kinds and colors, as were new sunglasses and duffle bags.
Isabel Marant put forth a collection that says, “I know who I am.” It’s the type of consistency we were looking for when watching her show full of sophisticated and edgy looks with just enough bohemian flare for good measure. For the collection, Marant sourced a good amount of inspiration from a near-and-dear friend, Marie-Laure de Decker—the Algerian photojournalist who, while capturing the world cultural world for more than 50 years, also captured this message. On a polished runway, lit from the start of the runway with bright lights and silver spheres on the ground, models walked in an earthy palette of shades like beige, grey, black, and the occasional pattern made of florals or sequin detailing. Most looks—some military-esque, others downright adventurous and voluminous—were casually belted at the waist, and paired with an at-calf, below-the-knee, or thigh-high black or brown boot. Here, freedom is a celebration.
