As one of the few American designers invited to show in the men's calendar of Paris Fashion Week, Angelo Urrutia finds himself in an enviable position, but one that comes with mixed emotions. On the one hand, his 4SDesigns label is gaining visibility and prestige. On the other hand, he still struggles to feel protected as an urban clothing designer.
It's a label that creative directors working in the space often reject, as it implies a segregation between different types of luxury or designer clothing. Urrutia wants to be on equal footing with her luxury American clothing brand, so this season her collection focused less on references and more on the intrinsic qualities of her creations.
“I wanted to advance the language of what I had already built in a new way, and in a way that really had more to do with my work,” he explained. “Instead of being an angry man screaming on a stool, I just put it into the collection in a really honest way.”
A CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund finalist last year, the designer is known for his labor-intensive fabrications, developing materials directly with Italian factories.
This season, herringbone was a major focus. The motif appeared as a trompe-l'oeil print on a viscose shirt and was expanded on a tracksuit woven from camel hair.
There was opulence in garments like a shrunken tailcoat or oversized coats made from traditional tailoring fabrics, but Urrutia wanted to keep it real. Therefore, a black organza shirt covered with feathers and sequins was padded on the inside. “This is just a very typical American work shirt that you can find at Walmart or something,” he said.
The silhouettes seemed familiar, but full of unexpected twists: Think a Yankees cap in deep blue velvet with a matching shirt, or a super-casual suit with Timberland boots.
There were sly allusions to French luxury codes, via a beige safari jacket and dirndl jackets with their trademark mismatched buttons. Both came with additional side pockets for that “American slouch,” as Urrutia put it. It turns out that you can take the man out of New York, but you can't take New York out of the man.
For more PFW reviews, click here.
