The Tamesis
Christopher Esber has some new ideas for his Pre-Fall collection. “I feel like now is a good time to work with patterns and shapes, which is less about fabrics and more about structure,” the designer explained during a fashion week visit to his Paris showroom.
Known for his bejeweled embellishments, which are constantly imitated, the designer has expanded his repertoire, using elements collected over time to enhance fabrics typically associated with menswear, or incorporating details that appear to have been unearthed from grandma’s treasures: a bit of crochet, a strand of lace, patchwork, household linens, wooden beads and colorful laces.
“I thought it would be fun to play with generational tensions,” he said, picking up one of his current favorites: a dress with laces from shoulders to waist and hem. Along the shelves, orange bell-bottom trousers with shoelace details brought out the DIY style that has become popular among fashionable Parisian teenagers these days.
Esber revisits basics, translating the idea of a tailored trench into a bomber jacket or an asymmetric buttoned skirt in tropical wool. Leather bomber jackets were elongated into halterneck dresses, zipped at the front and ruched at the waist. A creative take on moire wallpaper is paired with denim on Bermuda shorts; a nod to home linens, paired with yellow crochet on a sarong skirt, or lace on a crisp, summery halterneck dress in resort tones of turquoise and sea green.
The designer’s fan favorites—sexy, fluid jersey “shell” dresses, tailored jackets and pants, pleated tops for everything from beach to cocktails—are here, too. Some of them looked basic, including custom yoga pants, a leather corset, a beige plaid halterneck top with flowing silver and tiger eye necklace detailing at the back, and culottes that could also be zipped into a skirt shape.
“I love slip-on pieces, but it has to have more subtle details,” Esber says. “We wanted to make sure they were attentive and innovative.” All of these things, along with whimsy, uncanny associations, and hints of where he wants to go next, can be found in this Magpie’s Feast, the designer’s most extensive collection to date.
