Henri Levi treated the development of the spring 2023 season for Enfants Riches Déprimés as a character study.
He came up with many what-ifs for his fictional characters, one of them being a protege of Mozart living in Austria, whose clothes were all tattered, with spoons hanging off of them.
Another thing he enjoyed this season was the clash of “chic looks” and rudimentary artwork.
“I like the feeling that someone worked really hard on something but they didn’t really have the skill set to do it from the beginning. But the energy and emotion to me feel more substantial than if that craftsmanship and talent was there,” said the designer, who started the brand a decade ago by selling graphic T-shirts at a luxury price point.
While the runway was a bit chaotic, Levi knows how to cut a nice leather jacket, tailored pieces and T-shirts that speak to his young and affluent community. A hero item this season was the reworked T-shirt with a motif of Mao Zedong and a slogan that read “sailing on the sea depends on the helmsman.”
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“My feelings regarding T-shirts and graphics are that when they’re the most visible part of the collection, they shouldn’t get less emphasis than ready-to-wear,” the designer said.
He also dialed up the women’s offering, dishing out sexy looks with a touch of punk attitude. He was particularly proud of the over-the-knee boots decorated with nostalgic memorabilia.