Winter and fall don't necessarily lend themselves to sexy dressing—at least not the straightforward, skin-baring kind—but that doesn’t mean a girl doesn’t want to look hot. Isabel Marant set out to resolve that sartorial conundrum this season, and left the traditional mood-boarding to one side. After all she’s the kind of woman whose instincts for what’s next generally start with her own wardrobe.
The Parisian designer has been feeling the idea of a midi-length dress lately, a silhouette that can quickly read dowdy in the wrong hands. Marant drew on the romantic sway of floral prints to loosen up the death-of-sex vibe straight out of the gate, and cinched her plissé patterned frocks with wide black leather belts and frilly leather dickies, which had a vaguely kinky appeal. Marant’s track record for hot-to-trot footwear is pretty hard to beat, and her conical-heeled boots came finished with all manner of appealing embellishments, including party-ready rhinestones. Like many free-spirited women, Marant is not a lover of tights, and her knee-high and thigh-high shapes addressed that issue head on; though even women with a wardrobe full of jeans would be able to enjoy the look of the endless legs in her show, thanks to those over-the-knee, slouchy proportions.
And on the topic of legs—or more importantly pants—it certainly wasn’t all about a lean line here, though there were some great skinnies in the mix, including a cocktail hour-worthy pair worn by Gigi Hadid that was studded with crystals. In fact, Marant was just as committed to making the idea of baggy pants alluring. Her slouchy trousers came with plenty of swagger, and she managed to infuse the idea of a classic Wall Street suit with French girl smarts and an hourglass line—Lineisy Montero looked part femme fatale, part tomboy with her waist-whittling double-breasted blazer tucked into pleated high-waisted pants.
With a cast of models that included gorgeous ’90s veterans such as Amber Valletta and Carolyn Murphy, Marant proved that her trademark cool aesthetic works just as well for grown-ups. Backstage after the show, she said that she wanted every look to have the ease of a comforter, and beyond the more obvious references to quilts in the lineup, it was clear that each woman on the runway felt good in their own skin and their outfit, regardless of their age. Now what could be sexier than that?
