Designers left and right are rethinking fashion shows. The 27-year-old creative directors of Courrèges—Sébastien Meyer and Arnaud Vaillant—have been innovative in this regard from the start. At their first outing four seasons ago, they took to the stage to explain their approach: They would focus on categories, not total looks, they said; the clothes and the designers’ earnest personalities were instant hits. Last season, when they moved away from that idea (reluctantly, perhaps) and created head-to-toe outfits, the show didn’t quite connect. Meyer and Vaillant are fast learners, though, so they self-corrected at the house’s Eighth Arrondissement headquarters this morning, reprising their speaking roles and announcing a freshly adjusted m.o. They’re back onto the category concept and they’ve whittled the collection down to just four essentials: jackets, minis, knits, and architectural dresses—all of which founder André Courrèges would recognize as familiarly his own. Meyer and Vaillant are so confident about this course, they presented in a video format on a cast of stylists, consultants, models, and friends who styled individual Courrèges pieces with their own clothes. “We think of ourselves as industrial designers or object designers,” said Meyer.
That’s a whole lot of background, but the new formula couldn’t be simpler. “It’s come as you are,” Vaillant added. Vinyl miniskirts were paired with vintage tees or motocross shirts. One model accessorized her Courrèges wraparound zip shift with a second-skin knit and running shoes; another wore it under a much-loved denim jacket with Courrèges booties. With smart design in mind, Meyer and Vaillant developed pieces with built-in adaptability; a trench, for example, could be deconstructed into a dress. Outerwear was the standout here; there aren’t too many ways to reimagine an A-line mini, but there was variety in the coats: from a classic black style with small silver buttons lifted from the archive through to techy styles in a reflective-looking nylon or a lightweight spongy material that they’re calling vinyl mousse. Lily-Rose Depp was recently spotted in one of the vinyl Courrèges jackets they’ve cut for Fall in cheery, optimistic brights, carrying a Chanel bag. The photo was widely circulated, and it makes Meyer and Vaillant’s point about women shopping not just across brands, but also across new and vintage, expensive and not. These boys are onto something again.
