Albert Kriemler has designed his first-ever handbag collection for Akris, and his Spring clothes served as a well-considered minimalist canvas upon which to launch it. A few coats and dresses were made from leather that was scissored into narrow trapezoids, then re-glued for a geometric effect. But for the most part, Kriemler dialed down the sometimes overwrought fabric treatments from Fall and got back to the spare, clean lines that the Swiss company has been known for.
For day, that meant layered fine-gauge silk sweaters, sleekly tailored coat-dresses, and pantsuits with cropped jackets, elongated tees, and tapered knit pants. A sporty element came through via a gray laminated parka inset with athletic mesh and zip-front, blouson-back dresses. For evening, Kriemler was thinking streamlined. Long gray gowns draped gracefully from asymmetric shoulders, and a tall column of jersey came inset with inverted triangles of tulle at the neckline, front and back.
As for the bags? It's a measure of the company's commitment that Akris bought a horsehair factory before launching its accessories. Logo-less save for the trapezoidal zipper pulls, the results stand apart from the hardware-heavy styles currently popular. Showing large bags can turn your runway into merch fest, but Kriemler avoided that fate by producing a range as subtle as his clothes.
