Down the High-Concept Drain

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Paris has always been the home of conceptual fashion. And with each new concept comes a new darling, of course. Never underestimate the power of hype in this industry. At the moment, Simone Porte Jacquemus, aka Jacquemus, is a perfect case in point. Everyone who's anyone attended his show yesterday, set in pitch-black darkness that kept one wondering where good sense had gone. Ah, of course! It has gone down the high-concept drain.

Jacquemus Autumn/Winter 2016 | Source: InDigital.tv

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Jacquemus favours drama, dry theatrics and a dash of Dadaism. As the show started, the darkness was split in two by a blade of light, much as Martin Margiela used to do in his last few years at the helm of his label. The Margiela reference carried into the clothing too: oversized shapes, trousers-boots, sliced tailoring. This must have been intentional: Jacquemus entitled the show 'Reconstruction,' which recalls Margiela's deconstruction.

To make things a bit more playful — that is the Jacquemus trademark, after all — more references from Comme des Garçons and the great Jean Charles de Castelbajac were thrown into the mix. The collection had a deliberately childish, homemade quality which made it feel fresh. But it also came with the pretence of being something truly avant-garde. Well, it was not. The avant-garde questions the status quo and subverts it; this was just as referential as anything else we've seen this season. Jacquemus has some talent, that is for sure. But he needs to tame his ego and work a bit more on his ideas in order to progress and find his own voice.

Anrealage Autumn/Winter 2016 | Source: InDigital.tv

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At Anrealage, the offering was as obscure as usual. Think sculptural shapes and deceptive surfaces that looked like tweed but revealed intricate patterning if seen through special sheets of plastic. Tricky? Most definitely. The brand, designed by Kunihiko Morinaga, is known for the innovative fabric research, which often comes with intense show theatrics in order to be appeal to viewers.

But what exactly is the point if you need a piece of plastic to see the pattern? As for the looks, they were lighter than the past, but still fairly heavy and contrived. Morinaga should find a better working balance between fabric research and design, otherwise it comes off as gimmicky.