Is Lemaire the opposite of Louis Vuitton? While the latter's Western inspiration was unmissable, even at its Tuesday night mega show, the next morning designer duo Christophe Lemaire and Sarah-Linh Tran paraded dark shirts with elegant embroidered collars, bolo ties that were versions abstract rings -chain jewelry and hand-drawn thistle prints on skirts and blouses.
“We like to make references and not be too literal,” Lemaire said backstage, noting that his inspiration was not Western per se, but more folk. “So it could be a little bit Mexican or New Mexican. In fact, there are some elements inspired by Eastern European culture.”
Ballet, aviation and sleepwear were other elements that Lemaire and Tran fused into their introverted brand of quiet luxury. The clothing was generously proportioned and cleverly layered in her cult colors, such as lichen, clotted cream, and a variety of burnt tan browns.
In a season of soft tailoring, they found multiple appeal points in their masculine suit jackets; baggy pajama pants, with hand-rolled cuffs, and all manner of stylish outerwear, from thick aviator fur and waxed cotton raincoats to easy-to-wear wool coats as bathrobes, like those worn by the entire staff at PR Consulting, in addition to a good number of them. of guests.
To a soundtrack of instrumentals by Serge Gainsbourg, models strolled down an elevated circular walkway, some glancing back if they saw a cameraman in the corner.
The show took place at Lemaire's new headquarters on the Place de Vosges and the subsequent briefing with journalists took place in the workshop upstairs. “We believe that the process defines the results,” Lemaire said.
Indeed, her calm, uncluttered and quiet workspace, which could double as a fabulous spa, produced a collection that, while carefully calibrated, conveyed a simple, relaxed elegance.
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