The Tamesis
Designer Isabel Marant is still very much at home. But her decision to step back from certain aspects of her work, which includes seasonal previews, gave creative director Kim Bekker the opportunity to explore questions about need and relevance, while incorporating information gleaned directly from the shop floor as the brand enters its fourth decade.
“In fashion, we can do a lot of things, we can show our creativity, but at the end of the day, you have to want to wear it,” she said during a tour of the showroom. “For us, this season is about being honest with ourselves and understanding who we are – where we stand in terms of fashion. It’s important to me to understand and make sure we’re still aligned with reality.”
The archives provided plenty of inspiration for shapes and silhouettes, and Becker created contrasts by emphasizing textures (think lingerie knits, leathers, and velvets) and art embellishments. The opening look here, a marigold faux fur jacket paired with gorgeous drop earrings, sequined slingbacks and eggshell cropped pants, seemed to channel Carrie Bradshaw and will likely resonate with modern fans. Another way to put it: a simple white dress with restrained batwing sleeves, tiny cocktail buttons and a tangle of embroidered leaves. Jackets look particularly rugged, whether they’re sharp-shouldered pinstripe suits or soft leather jackets with crisp flap pockets and reinforced interior padding. This relaxed workwear-style jacket is crafted from linen cotton with a subtle sheen that pays homage to Armani’s ’90s. (“These materials are hard to come by now,” Bekker noted.) For CBK fans, a cognac-colored low-cut slip dress blended simplicity with sexiness.
The hue is a highlight in the collection, which warms up last season’s earth tones a few degrees with reds and desert tones in black, white or denim.
As for those cropped pants that are about to become a staple of the season, Bekker adds that fashion’s ongoing obsession with the ’90s isn’t the only reason they feel right again: Last summer, she found herself looking for them everywhere. “I had an urge to own them, they have an essential elegance that I really like because it shows off the legs in a different way,” she explains. She returned to the studio with renewed determination. “I thought, ‘I want those pants, we have to bring them back.’ Eventually, you create things you can’t find.”
