Isabel Marant’s showroom was bustling, but her new knee-high boots stood out like a beacon in bright shades of red, green, and blue—“the colors of Legos,” Marant said. After several years’ dominance of the ankle boot, designers are deciding it’s time for a new shape, and Marant is leading the charge. Leading is a condition she’s used to. Might it be one reason she’s opted not to share her pre-season pictures until now? Actually, she said it’s less to do with the issue of copying than it does overexposure. Generally speaking, there’s just too much stuff. Lucky for Marant and lucky for us, she’s got the touch.
Beyond the knee-high boots, there were several other silhouette-shifting pieces worth mentioning. Among them, a high-necked Victorian blouse (in the air elsewhere recently), tie-front pants with a generous, slightly rounded shape through the leg, and a midi-length black leather wrap skirt. Marant is better known for her frilly minis, but there’s a first time for everything. After much cajoling both internally and externally, she’s finally launched a proper bag business. They don’t have a starring role in the lookbook, but we bet the practical yet clever styles in a range of three different leathers, from supple to sturdy, will see a lot of action on the streets.
