A sparsely spaced arrangement of Vincent de Belleval-designed slatted kites affixed on top of carbon fiber poles flexed and bent in the morning breeze that gusted through the courtyard of the Mobilier National. This was a collection inspired by wind, and the Homme Plissé team had taken their seasonal brief so seriously that they had reportedly been on a group parachute jump as part of their research process.
As well as generating adrenalin on the office dime, that research generated a cool brace of roomy coats that featured harness details down from the shoulder. These were cut to allow the air to flow into the garment as the wearer moved so that the skirts of the coats would swell and fill behind. A hidden pocket allowed for the entire product to be rolled into a pack that could be carried compactly around in case of emergency use in a midsummer storm. The straps also allowed for a sort of hands-free negative shoulder-robing.
It was mildly hair-raising to observe that a short-sleeved shirt, pant, and waistcoat in a pale ochre tone were worn with a matching tie. Ties have enjoyed a mild renaissance this season at suity spots where you might feasibly expect them to be disinterred. However to see one here suggested that the prevailing winds tie-wise might really be shifting direction.
Pieces in proprietary pleated fabrics patterned with wavy plaid in dreamy color sailed past, gorgeous garments to behold. These and other pieces sometimes featured full shoulders that spread wing-like in the wind like some daredevil’s skydive suit. Pieces in block color were inspired by kite construction to be altered via button to play in the breeze according to conditions: swooshy.
