The Tamesis
When Pierre Mahéo and his team launched a pre-collection, they did so with a “see now, buy now” mentality. That’s especially useful this week, as the Officine Générale Spring Cruise collection launches during the largest and earliest heat wave in Paris’ modern meteorological history.
“It’s always a very special exercise,” Maheo said of the process. “Fashion is always projected without taking the time to look at the room. People are constantly looking for newness. But that means you can overlook products that quietly work over time.”
Turns out, giving things a chance to settle down is Officine Générale’s superpower. Its pants are doing brisk business (the classic Hugo has been a bestseller for years); likewise, there’s a line of soft Tencel shirts that come back every few seasons or so, but with a slightly different twist. In the spirit of this continuity, a chinos story emerges that is very close to the famous French labor blues (bleu de travail). By focusing on washes and mounting the fabric inside out (twill side on the inside), Mahéo and his team came up with jacket and pant shapes that felt welcoming: slightly longer, slightly wider, slightly adjusted at the shoulders. “This is another option for us to trawl for poos,” he quipped.
Another pair of Japanese cotton twill trousers are cut in plenty but are smarter than the barrel leg, modernizing the silhouette without going too extreme. Next up, drawstring trousers in linen, wool and silk are paired with double-breasted jackets, aiming to bring a “new suiting spirit” to men, Mahéo said. These work better in creative fields and relaxed settings than in conservative offices – for which there’s a new suit in an ottoman fabric – but khachino carpenter pants, an idea that’s cleverly adapted for any gender, can be worn almost anywhere. Likewise, 100% cotton jeans will be cut slim but not tight, something Mahéo describes as “easy to look at but hard to get right.”
For women and men, light-wash denim pieces pay homage to the American West but somehow retain a hint of French accent. Subtly bronzed, a suede jacket occupies a niche somewhere between a denim jacket and a blazer. Poplin pajama pants with drawstrings at the ankles were a rare nod to the trend. The bottom line here was playfully revisited classics, such as knitted polo shirts or Jane Birkin-inspired front/back V-neck sweaters, modeled in showrooms with flared skirts. Dressier were the black trousers, cut so wide that they looked like a skirt, with a low waist and paired with a polka dot cardigan. A casual dress paired with a fitted jacket, vest and slightly flared trousers looks perfectly timeless, and that’s the point. Next year, Officine Générale will celebrate 15 years in business—no small feat for an independent developer in the land of big brands.
“Maybe our role is to be reassuring,” Maheo said. “Ultimately, it’s about values. There’s an art to sticking to your own lane.”
