Nearing the close of Paris Fashion Week, we’re looking at the Fall/Winter 2023 collections introduced by Heliot Emil, Marco Ribeiro, Ester Manas, Atlein, Situation x Yaspis, and Maison Ernest.
Courtesy of Heliot Emil.
Heliot Emil’s fall/winter 2023 collection “Connected Forms” captured the essence of Henry Moore’s sculptural works—in particular, his public monumental pieces. Materials and textures evoking those of statues that live outdoors and shapes informed by the eerie allure of the faceless figures became a suite of designs devoid of color with a futuristic avant-garde. The collection featured daring silhouettes (from barely-there tops to engulfing garments that covered the face), pieces with extra zippers and hardware, and wrapping details that created tension—in puffer outerwear with knotted ties and encircling elements, thick fabric tied like rope around torsos, and leather belts worn as tops and across other garments.
Courtesy of Marco Ribeiro.
In Marco Ribeiro’s sixth collection, titled “maRCoLOco,” the Brazilian-born designer proposed new means of self-expression in an exploration of the space where fashion meets art and ordinary meets extraordinary. Introduced through an installation at Sheriff Gallery, Ribeiro’s fall/winter 2023 designs were captured on the streets of Paris’s 19th arrondissement with the help of Naguel Rivero and Ola Ebiti. Depicted in photographs were pieces like a pair of looks featuring deconstructed shirting (multiple prints and fabrics combined for an armor-like effect) styled with slacks, dress shoes, and exaggerated hairstyles or wigs.
Courtesy of Ester Manas.
The fall/winter 2023 debuts from Ester Manas was inspired by the idea of the perfect wedding. The resulting party of recycled lace, ribbed mesh, tulle, and a joyous carefree brought intrepid ensembles in white, black, blue, and red. Looks we loved included a dress of white see-through lace and ruching that featured a single sleeve, a flamenco ruffle up the side, and red sculptural accessories; a knit skirt and turtleneck set featuring butterfly ruffled seams and details, a pair of mary jane heels, and a small rectangular handbag; and a strappy black set layered with a blue lace skirt that gave off suggestions of lingerie.
Courtesy of Atlein.
Atlein’s starting point for its fall/winter 2023 designs was the figure of The Gradiva fromGradivaby Wilhelm Jensen—a 1902 novel about a woman whom the author was inspired by an ancient Roman statue of the same name. From this, founder and designer Antonin Tron embarked on his own studies of ancient statues from Greece, India, Mesopotamia, and the Romans, by which the collection was born. The maison’s signature jersey and ruching, draping, and pulling techniques were the perfect match for their muse, creating soft, fitted silhouettes that hugged the bodies of the wearers. In hues of rust, lavender, olive, and teal, the styles suggested their point of reference through one-shouldered shapes, draped cowl necklines, and other pieces with a goddess appeal.
Courtesy of Situationist x Yaspis.
For the fall/winter 2023 season, Irakli Rusadze’s Situationist and Nina Kolomiitseva’s Yaspis have joined forces for a collaborative collection, which is also the debut of both brands at Paris Fashion Week. Finding common ground and a shared ethos in their respective practices, the friends have honed in on tailoring and essentials, imagining them anew in leather, knit, and bamboo mesh, with interesting details. Outerwear was oversized and strong-shouldered, while pieces like dresses, skirts, and knits with trousers featured cutouts and sculptural embellishments (like a black dress with giant red leather ruffles) or the intermingling of fabrics—like a silk sash over a tailored suit, or leather with sheer lace.
Courtesy of Maison Ernest.
It was at the Parisian venue the Crazy Horse where the first runway presentation of Maison Ernest took place, accompanied by musical entertainment from Victor Solf. Evocative of an old-time cabaret affair, we saw footwear and accessories that put a modern-day spin on classic, glamorous styles. There were stiletto heels with ankle straps, red patent styles with pointy toes in under- and over-the-knee styles, as well as thigh-high boots with laces and tongues, covered in sparkling crystals or printed in type reading “Maison Ernesto.” Accompanying these shoes were belts with detachable bags, glossy buckle cuff bracelets, and pieces like a clutch with a giant leather bow on the front.
