The Tamesis
In Magda Butrym’s showroom, located in a spacious Haussmann-style apartment near the Parc Monceau, what immediately catches the eye are the outerwear.
That’s no coincidence: The category is a big hit for her, so she opted for it in early fall, wearing tailored coats in chocolate, caramel leather or wool. Elsewhere, a roomy bomber jacket with dramatic, dropped shoulders and a belted waist fits the bill as one of the season’s key must-haves; a wrap trench coat is paired with a dramatic wide scarf; and a beige puffer jacket looks remarkably streamlined considering the material.
Special attention is also given to jackets, with wide, ultra-structured shoulder pads that contrast with nipped-in waists: jackets come in black wool with a portrait collar, black glossy leather without a collar, or in retro gray plaid with small ruffles and the designer’s signature rosette at the hem. A suede jacket that looks like corduroy is a new fabric that also joins the collection.
Butrym has always favored structured silhouettes. Here, she chose to make a dramatic statement through volume while sticking to her personal favorite of rich neutrals. The ’90s supermodel inspiration is on full display, thanks largely to the way it’s loosely padded—especially at the hips to enhance hourglass lines—a choice that’s almost like a movement to restore women’s curves, while semaglutide might have been able to steal them away. A draped beige bodice was paired with a chocolate brown pleated maxi skirt and sleeveless midi dress with sculptural, almost rose-like ruffles around the bust that pushed the volume to the front. The pedal pusher contrasts with all these shapes: over the past year, designers have been integrating these shapes bit by bit; now it seems to be gaining popularity in Paris as a micro trend.
Next season will be full of craftsmanship, something Butrym has always used to emphasize her Slavic roots. Here, statement pieces include lace lingerie dresses, perhaps worn with a sleek leather skirt, and hand-crocheted midi dresses with removable shoulder pads, as well as bralettes and embellished swimsuits. Ladylike accessories range from a doctor’s bag with a modern structure to satin mules or slingbacks with rosette detailing. When these products, along with the rest of the collection, are ready to hit stores, they’ll find a new place to call home in the designer’s first permanent store in New York’s SoHo neighborhood.
