When a collection’s point of departure is flight—and encompasses all its animal, technological, idiomatic, and even geopolitical meanings—it’s no stretch to think of lifting off and how that translates to the growth curve of a brand. Those following OAMC since 2013 can confirm that material development and authentic design have always been the engines of Luke Meier’s process. But for the first time, a presentation helped to situate the label as a look, not just an offering of well-engineered separates. And it’s to Meier’s credit that the no-nonsense volumes, military-style trousers, and intarsia color-blocked knits sported by 14 models (including two girls) commanded more attention than the parachute installation, its domed shape puffed skyward by a giant fan.
To be sure, Meier’s interpretations of flight spanned various domains, from the hand-painted dove outstretched on the back of a bomber jacket to an Italian gabardine jumpsuit, more formal than functional. But utility also served a role, especially in the “compression” ruching down pant legs and jacket sleeves, which achieved a corseting effect by slightly adjusting both silhouette and posture. The designer pointed out how jackets that seemed like patchwork at first sight actually resulted from labor-intensive cut-and-sew techniques. A shearling coat paneled with chevron quilting took the surplus look to new heights.
In spite of the camouflage jacquard outerwear (the infusion of petrol blue was a nice touch) and the military lapel pins in polished metal, Meier distanced the collection from any warlike statement, while noting how civilian travel has largely evolved from military research. For Meier, it seems, design encourages this sort of dialectic and forces him to consider every piece—the shearling-paneled dog tags, the single feather pendant from unharmed birds, the llama under-layer—as part of a larger statement. “I hope people see it as a little deeper than purely style,” he said, sounding rather grounded.
