Maximising Reduction

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I love it when you get a straightforward lead-on from one post to another… from my retrogading at 70s-80s designer Anne Marie Beretta and her voluminous lines, I come to Christophe Lemaire's collection which both Steve and I have happed onto via a very insightful interview in the new issue of the b Store magazine.  Most will know Lemaire from his creative directorship at Lacoste (I always end up loving pieces on the Lacoste runways but sadly… 80% of it never actually goes into production???) but some might know of his own label past where he set up his own label in 1991 and subsequently took a break from it to concentrate on Lacoste.  He then returned in 2007 to his own brand, quietly chugging away on clothes that are not so much seasonal but centre around a wardrobe code that grapples between timelessness and newness.

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It was a pleasant surprise to find that Lemaire takes huge inspiration from the 'Cheap Chic' books, an updated version which I bought for a pretty penny, written and edited by Caterine Milinaire and Carol Troy.  It's both simultaneously retro and refreshing in the way that it concentrates on wearability and practicality… their "How to Wear Your White Shirt" formula for instance is charming as opposed to the modern versions of the same subject being rather banal.  

Take Lemaire's consideration for wearability and a form of 'practical elegance' aside, there's obviously no getting away from the distinct reference points.  Lemaire's collections could conjure up anything from early Sonia Rykiel, Guy Paulin, Mongolian costume, kimonos, Yohji Yamamoto, Issey Miyake… a sort of post-new romanticism.  Still, even with all those heavily imbued references and the undoubted spirit of late 70s codes of dressing instilled in the collection, I'm still feeling like his way of maximising beautiful fabrics into something that is simple but not overly reduced feels refreshing to me.  When magazine Encens works his clothing into editorials, the effect is even more inspiring.  I also get the feeling that this is the part of the 70s-80s that designers/brands don't often channel and if we're to have unlimited versions of taffeta prom dresses by everyone from Marc Jacobs to H&M then why shouldn't there be people like Lemaire (and Matthew Ames, I might add…) quietly plugging away and creating these fluid cocoons that fare better as essential items… or wardrobe 'cogs' (remember ma cogs?)…

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15 comments

  3. ‘I also get the feeling that it’s the part of the 70s-80s that designers/brands don’t often channel and if we’re to have unlimited versions of taffeta prom dresses … then why shouldn’t there be people like Lemaire (and Matthew Ames, I might add…) quietly plugging away and creating these fluid cocoons that fare better as essential items’
    I COULDN’T AGREE MORE. THESE ARE THE KINDS OF STYLES THAT CUT THROUGH THE SWEETNESS OF 80S NEON AND POUF. I LOVE THIS POST 🙂

  5. OMG THAT GREY SKIRT…. and that shirt!! *swoons*
    the braids on her hair and the outfit make her look like a Jedi…. sorry, it’s my inner nerd talking..

  9. Rather Eskandar and Zoran too. I like though I’m upset that the wrap styles, with its strong Chinese and Japanese inclinations, is right-over-left instead of left-over-right. Can’t wear them then!

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