If anyone needs a visual explanation of what a smart-casual dress code means, they need look no further than Lutz Huelle’s spring collection, titled “La Nuit,” which recasts the definition of an outing as something that shouldn’t be limited to a particular occasion or time of day. The idea? “Saying that we want to go out, have fun, dress up, but do we need eveningwear [for that],” he said at a preview.
The look: Everyday drama. In a reversal of his fall 2021 collection, focused on jazzing up the everyday, Huelle worked the idea that we’d want to ease back into nightlife with fail-safe going-out options that would work for quieter times too. After experimenting with dressing himself in his own designs — a hit on social media — he added male models to his cast as well as extended sizes.
Quote of note: “Talking about simplicity in dressing always has this connotation that you didn’t make an effort. As a designer, I’m making that effort so that [customers] can have things that work in every [circumstance] and can become very dramatic without having to overthink.”
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Standout pieces: His tailoring on trousers in soft yet bright tones; blazers with sequins hiding under the lapel, and new spins on his utility-chic jacket hybrids. Tops nodding to football jerseys and T-shirts with taffeta puffs at the cuff or the maximalist cape blouse looked easy to adopt, too.
Takeaway: Huelle adds his effects with a light touch and a deft hand at construction, delivering a solid proposal that feels familiar but still fresh.