Anthony Alvarez showed a new maturity with his latest collection. Not to say that he is all grown up — the designer keeps his fun, youthful influences with skater and surf notes at hand — but he added sharper tailoring and layering this season.
The French-Filipino-American is all over the map, literally, and pulls in references from each element of his cultural heritage in what he called “superstitious” accents, such as studs on the backs of jackets to ward off the evil eye.
He’s been spending time on the West Coast lately, and that California cool comes out in basketball jerseys and bright pops of color. The Hawaiian hibiscus bloomed on track pants and popped with rhinestones on white trousers and denim, another nod to the beach culture he loves.
Leopard print coordinates and long johns in sorbet shades topped with board shorts were an energetic take on the suit that kept the collection from veering into too serious territory. Trenchcoats were reinterpreted in light nylon, pulling from Alvarez’s love of extreme sports and utilitarian textiles, while his grandpa’s style seeped through in some of the looser cuts. He also used dip dyes in pastels on parkas and as piping on tuxedo trousers.
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Alvarez collaborated with Italian hiking boot brand Diemme to launch shoes this season. If a sneaker and slide were to have a kid that wanted to hang out at the skate park and chill, he’s given it life here.
“Spending time on the West Coast really marked in me the importance of individuality and being grown up, but also forever young,” he said backstage.
The show took place against the backdrop of a giant, mirrored dreamcatcher, with the intention of reflecting back on the audience. In Alvarez’s world, you can be anyone you dream of.