The Tamesis
There’s been a lot of talk this season about designers succumbing to populism rather than taking creative risks. It may not drive fashion trends in a big way, but in unpredictable times, it’s often the smarter choice. “I’m not reinventing the wheel,” said The Frankie Shop founder and creative director Gaëlle Drevet after debuting the brand’s fall collection. The brand has never been known for its avant-garde feel. Instead, the question Drevet has been asking is: “How can we make something simple feel more special?”
This season, many of The Frankie Shop’s classic menswear pieces are updated only in more structured silhouettes, such as a sharp-shouldered blazer with rounded curves at the sleeve seam. Rich textures come in the form of fur (both faux and real shearling), cashmere, leather and angora, layered with pops of color such as teal, icy blue, chartreuse and bright red. In Drevet’s words, the brand has significantly “strengthened” its offering of full wardrobe pieces, including more knitwear this time around.
However, you’d be hard-pressed to find a dress in this collection, or in most of the brand’s collections; Drevet doesn’t wear many of them himself. She designs, she says, intuitively. Case in point is the number of pieces in deep forest green, including a voluminous faux fur cape and a leather pencil skirt that zips up the side. “I really like the color,” she shrugged. Her instincts paid off. This is a great shade.
The gray wool collarless blazer is cut closer to the body than previous styles. It can be worn with a matching midi-length pencil skirt suit for a rather ladylike look, but Drevet believes her customers might offset it with something more casual. Variations come in the form of tracksuits made from traditional suiting materials and jacket collar interiors in contrasting colors.
In addition to the brand’s signature leather jackets and outerwear, more eye-catching products include a mid-length curly alabaster coat and a faux fur long buttery yellow tunica coat. Like several designers this season, Drevet riffed on several best-selling outerwear pieces from past collections, including several classic fur coats. “I don’t believe in changing things that work,” she said. In other words, give people what they want.
