Do you ever imagine yourself in one of those Jean-Luc Godard films, sitting outside a café and watching Paris’ unbothered denizens go about their daily lives?
That’s just what Sarah-Linh Tran and Christophe Lemaire offered, along with tea, blankets and miniature hot water bottles to beat a sudden cold snap.
“We liked the idea of having characters coming in from a distance, the possibility to see them [from] the back, three-quarter, passing again,” said Lemaire, noting that on seated models “the clothes sometimes take another dimension.”
Among the cold-weather outfit choices for the Lemaire set striding purposefully at the Pierre and Marie Curie University were silk shirtdresses worn with high neck tops and knee-high boots; smart pajamas worn as a suit, and a voluminous parka that struck the right tone between cocoon and chic.
Contrasts in texture furthered this lesson in layering, pairing flowy fabrics with nubbly knits, shearling with suiting or using piece-dye to create subtle differences.
A greater focus on comfort came across this season, brought by padded vests, quilted jackets or puffers, still with an eye to keeping layers light enough for buildable silhouettes through structural legerdemain, like removing the lining in tailored pieces.
Prints this season continued the collaboration with Indonesian artist Noviadi Angkasapura, which the pair appreciate for their “spiritual, a bit psychedelic [and] very graphic” vibe that the design duo wanted to put in motion, according to Tran.
These added “more electricity” to the Lemaire playbook of “very pragmatic elegance,” she said. A further quirky touch came from colorful duck calls, worn as chunky pendants.
“We feel that style is very much about [being credible], seeing people in the light and being intrigued,” Lemaire said. What they offered here certainly warrants a second look.