The silver balloons tied to each seat and at the entrance to the JordanLuca show might have suggested to guests that founders Jordan Bowen and Luca Marchetto were in a celebratory mood. Considering how her latest co-ed collection built on the continued development of her brand in terms of design maturity and credibility, that could only have been appropriate.
“It's about hope and joy in being together,” Bowen said backstage about the show. However, the balloons were intended to be a bittersweet metaphor to remind us that hope is also fragile: only a needle threatens to burst it.
Good thing the pointy details the duo sprinkled throughout the collection and on the accessories were at a safe distance. The pointed details added to the brand's inherent punk attitude, but found new resonance as its designs veered in a more adult direction, expressed here with a greater focus on tailoring.
A series of squared, exaggeratedly wide shoulders on coats and blazer jackets made a statement in power dressing and mixed with elegant clothing options in narrower proportions. Another common element in the designers' work, kilts were reinvented into classic suit pants or midi pencil skirts, while back-revealing apron styles added to the subversive and sexy feel of the strong women's offering. .
The latter took feminine codes and mixed them with fierce and sensual numbers, as seen in a standout red leather minidress and a bias-cut dress made with 37 continuous meters of sustainable satin viscose that wraps the body. Zippers down the back of low-rise trousers, distressed sweaters and spikes used as cufflinks in sartorial looks added to the punk vibe, which was reinforced by the hairstyles Anthony Turner created on a selection of models.
Among them was Andreas Kronthaler, who made a cameo supporting Marchetto, who a decade ago worked as a personal design assistant for him and Vivienne Westwood.
Kronthaler rocked the runway in an all-black look (complete with long raincoat and jeans tucked into kitten-heeled boots) that added to this dark-hinged collection. “Our personal journey has been quite difficult over the last six months,” Bowen said, referring to the pain. “But I don't think black represents something negative. There’s something pure about it… There’s freedom in letting go of color and just focusing on the silhouette.”
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