This was the story of two collections: that of the hardcore punk and that of the Savile Row gentleman. Florentin Glémarec and Kévin Nompeix brought them together and gave them both a wardrobe full of powerful pieces for the social media generation, many of whom, they would say, suffer from online aggression.
The designers are big advocates for the mental health of young people recovering from trauma and cyberbullying, and later this year they plan to create a capsule to raise funds for Psycom, an organization that provides access to mental health counseling.
Meanwhile, they used their fall collection to make a statement about the power of the body and mind to heal from trauma.
That explains all the meat on display. At one point, designers affixed a clothing label to a model's bare chest, treating the body as if it had its own powerful appearance.
However, the fierce shoulders, which have been visited and revisited by designers and brands ranging from Elsa Schiaparelli to Thierry Mugler and Balenciaga, were the stars of this show.
They emerged from gray suits, softly draped with statement brooches, and a sequined plaid jacket. A fitted plaid jumpsuit and a belted jacket, both with Savile Row swagger, had them, as did distressed denim jackets.
Other clothes were just as muscular—and in-your-face—from the edgy red and black vinyl coats and fringed fetish styles to the cowboy boots that were made for walking and kicking ass.
A shrunken cable knit sweater in baby blue; a line of soft, billowy blouses layered beneath floor-length tea-dyed jackets and jeans balanced that power and sharpened the sharp edges of this often repetitive but thought-provoking collection.
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