The starting point of Bluemarble’s fall collection was designer Anthony Alvarez’s dream of crossing the Pacific, starting in the Philippines — his father’s homeland — and leading all the way to the Southern French port town of Toulon, where his mother grew up.
“I went through this journey to reunite all the different cultures who shaped who I am today,” he said backstage.
On the way, this lineup layering sailor shirts, trompe-l’oeil double trousers and vivid outerwear with a late ’90s flavor would come in handy to keep warm and dry.
But Bluemarble’s fall wasn’t meant as a rugged trek. Alvarez added plenty of sparkle and shine, perfect for a pit stop somewhere in the Americas, preferably with a bit of surf and party.
Hand embroideries were a particular focus, for that “real human touch,” he said, singling out a cardigan adorned with buttons and rhinestones depicting the “blue marble” view of the planet.
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Among other standouts were the pieces that balanced utility with exuberance, like the tie-dye woolen coats; trousers inlaid with glittering, curving panels, giving them a sensual twist, and the parkas adorned with geometric cutouts. Those were a nod to the colorful sails of traditional Filipino bangka boats, Alvarez pointed out.
The idea of a melting pot vibe is a familiar trope at Bluemarble, but the increasing sophistication of Alvarez’s design vocabulary, particularly with canny and well-executed spliced pieces, made this iteration all the more compelling.