Paris 2 SS20
By Jo Phillips
This runway was unrestrained and spontaneous vision of Miu Miu with splashes of blazing yellow on the sleeves, green on the jacket and salmon on the skirt. The use of luxurious leather against duchess satin merges formal wear with Crayola brights and heightens the sense of basic colours. The uninhibited nature of the collection even trickles down to the details with high lace-up boots, knotted bags handle and button ornaments. The use of woods on heels and the show space adds a natural rawness homogenous to the idea of spring.
The collection gains its distinctness from the separation of contemporary trends. The use of dark silhouettes and edgy designs is a glorification of minimalism but somehow manages to rise to the level of couture. Stripped sneakers and brimmed hats used in the collection are accessible accessories that can dynamize any wardrobe. Yamamoto breaks up the idiosyncratic monochronic design with a rapture of rainbow and floral prints against white. It creates a sense of exuberance in his designs that stray away from the melancholic art of the rest of the pieces on the runway.
Valli’s signature use of floral pattern, especially the use of wildflowers sets the mood for the Spring ready-to-wear collection. The use of beige, white and black strikes a somber tone but Valli’s use of bright and monochromatic sunflower yellow and pistachios adds a fresh look to the series. Puff sleeves, chantilly lace, trellis and delphinium fine prints on bodices and skirts create a summer feel for the collection. Valli accessories each piece with embellished shoes, feather headpieces or floral crown as a reminiscence of a blossoming garden. This collection is an embodiment of subtle and effortless beauty.
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Heavily inspired by Owen’s adoration of the rock band Kiss, the collection is a reminiscence of Larry LeGaspi – the designer responsible for ‘Kiss’s style and famed face paint. The towering platform boots and futuristic headgear resembling the crowns of pharaohs are a reminder of Fritz Lang’s Metropolis. Black and golden sequins, striped patterns and tabard skirts in cotton plissé create an awe-inspiring and futuristic beauty that rivals contemporary design trends. Owen’s use of yellow, hot pink, bright orange, brown and eggshell white captures a fantasy.
Lingerie as outerwear is the trend of the season and Theyskens has created a decadent collection of luxury and glamour.. Theyskens uses a natural palette with shades of black, brown and grey being the dominant colour. He occasionally breaks the monotone shades with a flash of hot pink shoes or a ruby red jacket. Strong shoulders and cinched waists were featured heavily on this runway.
For Spring/Summer 20, Off White delivered more of what it does best, formal and somber looks that navigate between white and black. Adored by the young digital crowd, Abhol’s designs looked to its native source of inspiration, streetwear, for this season with a collection titled Meteor Strike. Aimed to bring a phenomenon that identifies with astral sense and the strength of women, the collection translated into a series of soft, clean, and symmetrical wardrobe for business professionals.
Alessandro Dell’Acqua uses a riot of colour and a raggedy informality in design to create visual friction and boundless energy. Ultramarine blue jacket, orange shirt, neon green dress, sheer organza, silk and metallic fabric creates drama on the ramp. Each piece within the collection presents a contrast of energy and elegance. For this collection, Dell’Acqua used minimal ornaments, accessorised with ballet flats and mainly focused on the colour composition for this season.
Ricci showed quirky youthfulness in her designs with Crayola bright bucket hats and an occasional piece of floral and ruffle patterns. Long gone are the age of romantic designs, the dynamic duo Rushemy Botter and Lisi Herrebrugh are reinventing the brand with playfulness in their experimental yet creative designs. The use of pastel fabrics and sunflower yellow creates a juxtaposition of ethereal and spirited beauty. The duo uses brightly coloured earpieces and black or white bloc boots to keep the focus on the clothing.
Marant uses denim, lace and wool to create a festive look with their Spring collection. The collection’s leather jumpsuits and embellished organza dress are alluring. Marant has added a lot of scalloped edge shots in this new collection that highlights the wearer’s legs. Surprisingly, the ordinary boyfriend jeans, as well as the tank and bohemian style tops, are reassembled to redefine the cool and chic Coachella look. As for the showcase, the pieces were modelled by runway celebrated Irina Shayk and Amber Vallete, adding to the starry-eyed affair.
Lemaire’s use of neutral colours throughout the collection accentuates the underlying design details. The brains behind the brand, Christophe Lemaire and Sarah-Linh Tran use different shades of black for their silhouettes. Unlike the other designers in this list, Lemaire’s design is meant for the real-life. There is no over-the-top design or addition of patterns or colours that attract attention. As for the fabric, cotton poplin, merino wool and silk are the predominant materials. Yet, the duo creates an aesthetically pleasing and fundamental collection that people can wear right off the runway to carry on with their day-to-day life.
Dries Van Noten and Christian Lacroix’s eccentric and maximalist designs bring forth the taste of haute couture to the pret-a-porter. Extravagant use of ostrich plumes as headgears, tiger stripe skirts, floral jackets made of silk, ruffle skirts and layers and layers of various fabrics tailored together to create masterpieces. Francois Dagognet once told Lacroix, “Your coherence is coming from your incoherence” and that stands true for the Summer/Spring collection of 2020.
Spectacular fluidity is the best description for Issey Miyake’s 2020 spring collection. Satoshi Kondo blurs the boundary between surrealism and minimalism, with its parachute styled designs, flowy skirts, oversized jackets and pooper-split pants. When it comes to accessories, the Japanese born designer used bags resembling Chinese handheld fans and simple shoes. Kondo was able to create the sense of joy that the brand associates itself with. And the models walked down or rather twirled, jumped or skated their way down the runway making the whole experience for the viewers unique.
