Andrew Gn collections are often history lessons in pretty disguise. For spring, he drew on a brief period in French history, post-Revolution, pre-Empire, when the “Incroyables and Merveilleuses” turned heads in the Paris streets with their fantastical, rebellious fashion. It reminded him of the energy that spurred Eighties punk, so he merged the two, finessing them with his signature ladyfied hand.
On his wildest days Gn is more Bergdorf Goodman-eveningwear-salon than proper punk. As he said, “I’m a silk and cashmere boy.” But the incroyable spirit pushed him to try something new: denim. A self-confessed denim virgin, he didn’t do dungarees but dressed-up blues, opening the show with a fitted, asymmetrical jean jacket with a nipped waist and raw edges over a bias mermaid jean skirt. It was one of the lineup’s strongest, freshest looks, followed by a mini denim dress with a high-collared bib and kimono sleeves and a neat, cropped jacket with studded details worn with a midi kick skirt done in swirling panels. He went on to show similar silhouettes in black and white eyelet that captured a light, youthful sensuality — polished but with a sly edge. The collection finished on a more classic Gn note with classically beautiful dresses and gowns done in colorful 18th-century floral embroideries and frilly kimono sleeves a plenty. It’s hard to argue with cashmere and silk but denim suits Gn, too.