Lemaire’s creations come alive in movement; they inhabit the space around the body with a gliding, serene lightness and informal grace which suit the rhythm of our purposeful daily dynamism. The relaxed simplicity of their lines belies a sophisticated take on the French concept of naturel—that elusive attitude of ease and nonchalance which makes even brand-new clothes look as if they had always been in your wardrobe.
“This season we wanted to open the doors to a feel of enhanced versatility; clothes have to be ‘appropriated’ even more easily than usual,” said Sarah-Linh Tran, the label’s cocreator, on a Zoom from the Lemaire studio in Paris. “We wanted the collection to express even more softness and lightness; we worked on hybrids, modular, and flexible pieces that can be adjusted and changed with simple gestures.”
Lemaire’s approach to style—realistic with a side of chic, individual, off-kilter edge—is pertinent to today’s lifestyle. Its evolution is gentle and considered—this isn’t a label from which to expect tectonic shifts of vocabulary each season. In both the women’s and men’s spring offerings, shapes were kept ample and flowy, their relaxed allure making for easy layering. Plays on draping and folding added an edgy yet airy feel to functional everyday pieces, made in lightweight fabrics in a palette of subtly saturated hues. “It’s the idea of a versatile wardrobe that has to suit different situations and be worn by different people,” said Tran. “The generosity of the volumes underlines the openness to a diversity of needs, attitudes, and morphologies.”
Introducing a pictorial touch, the designers created a series of light silk and cotton pieces cut in elemental forms, printed with drawings by outsider American artist Joseph Yoakum. “We were intrigued by his elusive biography,” said Tran. “The landscapes he painted were intimate and abstract; the narrative of his life was quite hazy and mysterious, so we reproduced his motifs on sheer, delicate fabrics, almost as if they were very light tents moving softly around the body.”
In the collection’s video, models walk around a vast space under a blue hand-painted sky bathed in warm afternoon light; they move with the purpose and natural velocity we all experience in our daily lives. Their clothes are completely à l’aise in such an environment; they look as naturally fast-paced as the wearers. The Lemaire designers definitely understand the beauty of movement.
