It was European style that inspired Christophe Lemaire and Sarah-Linh Tran for this laid-back collection filled with all the brand’s signatures: loose layers, touches of workwear, blouson shirts and long trenches. “I believe in Europe, and this collection has European style, a refined minimalism, although there’s always a little bit of Japan on my mind too,” said Lemaire.
The designers took that European theme seriously, booking the Berlin band Die Wilde Jagd to play a live set as models paced the raw, industrial space. All the breezy cotton poplins, chintzes, twills and lightweight dry silks looked cool and easy, particularly on a day when the audience was wilting in the Paris heat.
Lightweight, long-sleeve cotton T-shirts and other ones with fluted sleeves were worn over loose, high-waist trousers cropped at the ankle. Some jackets were long and loose, ending at the knee, while shirt jackets had a military feel with patch pockets. Some trousers had built-in belts, while others were flat-fronted with a dropped crotch and others still had a thick waistband, giving them a workwear feel.
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Lemaire and Tran spiked their usually muted, neutral palette with rich natural tones: Rust for a short suede jacket, lemonade for the long-sleeve cotton T-shirt, a caramel sleeveless sweater vest and a lovely orange marbled pattern for a short jacket.
The territory between street and tailored clothing can often be rough terrain, filled with oversized proportions and unflattering silhouettes, but Lemaire has made a home there, and it’s certainly a stylish one.
More From Paris Fashion Week Men’s Spring 2018:
Demna Gvasalia Takes Cool Dad Concept to the Next Level: Demna Gvasalia’s Balenciaga Spring 2018 collection was an ode to Sunday in the park with Dad.
Valentino’s Pierpaolo Piccioli Says Goodbye Suit, Hello VLTN: The designer is preparing to unveil a sportswear-driven collection with a new logo that plays on the brand’s classical font.
Pigalle Paris to Present First Full NikeLab Capsule: Creative director Stéphane Ashpool will present the collection at his show at Paris’ Modern Art Museum on Thursday.
Off-White to Debut EMP TY Gallery at Paris Fashion Week: The “Another First Show” exhibition, curated by Piotr Niepsuj, will be available at the temporary gallery June 21-25.