You know it's a sporty season in Paris when a designer like Anne Valérie Hash moves in on the action. The closest she's ever gotten to activewear was the Nike Air Max sneakers she used last season, but she really went for it today. Her big idea was to splice reflective jersey into just about everything. The technical term is actually retro-reflective, because the fabric itself didn't shine, only the images of it snapped with flash cameras. When the audience took pictures on their iPhones, their little screens lit up like neon. Sometimes it was a whole suit, other times it was just insets on T-shirts or dresses that were collaged in a way that resembles modern workout gear. It was a neat trick, but it didn't convincingly add any real value to the clothes.
Aside from that high-tech material, which looked bluish gray under the normal runway lights, this was a familiar Hash collection—satisfyingly so. She designs a nice pantsuit, relaxed and with a generous, slightly boyish cut. Lately she's also made a specialty of jumpsuits, and she was sure to include a few here. Strolling out on white oxfords, they had a low-key, casual vibe despite the accomplished interplay of lace, silk, and that tech fabric above the waist. It's not often that Hash does a floor-length dress, so the two she showed for Spring were a welcome sight, especially because they retained the honest-to-goodness ease of gym clothes.
