POWER HOUR
Paris: Roland Mouret picked up where Balenciaga’s F/W 12 collection left off, re-imagining a more grown-up, professional woman of the 80s to Ghesquière’s Nintendo-addicted neophytes. The imposing silhouettes of the decade were the perfect vehicle for Mouret to continue his exploration of flat pattern. Supple wool suitings and liquid leathers were precisely folded and tucked into “power suits” and sinuous sheaths full of jagged edges. When padded shoulders weren’t jutting out into inverted triangles, Mouret inflated the hips into New Look silhouettes with sculptural peplums. The back end of the show saw Mouret abandoning complicated origami handiwork for printed and patterned planes that recalled the art of the Memphis Group. Maybe it was the cheap and easy way to create the illusion of depth and texture in the collection; however, it also looked the most modern in its graphic simplicity.—Nivara Xaykao
Silhouette: Strong shoulders / Built-out hips
Color: Vermillion / Emerald / Mahogany / Cognac / Eggshell / Black-and-white
Key Items: Cropped moto / “Power” suit / Bike shorts / Slit pencil skirt / Luxe jumpsuit / Two-toned trousers / Boxy cropped tee
Materials: Liquid leather / Wool suiting / Lacquered satin
Print + Pattern: Metallic variegated stripes / Memphis Group-style geos
Details + Trim: Peplums / Disconnected collars / Shirttail hems / Origami folds
Accessories + Footwear: Cutout booties / Boxy Wayfarer-style sunglasses
