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The brand has seen many designers come and go, and the latest team to take the helm made its debut Saturday at the The Tanks at Tate Modern. Karl Templer is the new artistic director, Baron & Baron has recast the visuals and logo, working with cool geometric shapes, and Michela Piva is steering the business. A re-branded flagship is set to open on Rue Saint-Honoré during Paris Fashion Week, and the collection has already expanded to include jewelry, bags with different clasps on each side and footwear.
Templer and his team sent a jolt of color and pattern through this collection, which was inspired by the exotic outdoors with hibiscus, Hawaiian and animal prints; the bold, naïf works of Henri Matisse, and lots of saturated color reminiscent of Paul Gauguin’s Tahitian period. The weather in London turned warm and sunny this weekend, so there could not have been a better moment to flash all those searing pinks, Campari reds and Matisse blues.
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The hybrid pieces were among the standouts, and included a button-front coat dress with a three-part personality — a flash of bright pink silk, red wool and a fishnet underlay. There was also a lineup of silky dresses with swinging pleats and printed patchwork tops and a long, slinky, color-blocked knit with different textures. The liquid dresses, draped or knotted, in amber or red, that closed the show were pure glam — and spirit-boosting.
There was a Prada and Marni-ish mood here, what with all the bright, arty references and conceptual silhouettes. The looks got a little dizzying, with animal print mixes, stripes and layering sometimes reaching a fever pitch. But even the occasional stampede of zebra pattern, cowhide and black-and-white stripes couldn’t stop the brand’s new, high-energy vibes from radiating through the Tate.
Launch Gallery: Ports 1961 RTW Spring 2020
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