Guillaume Henry ventured far afield for his Fall inspiration at Nina Ricci—all the way to rodeo country—America, especially the left coast. If the proliferation of Paris vegan places and juice bars is any indication, that part of America holds a special allure for the French, but this was uncharted territory for the house of Ricci, even for Henry who has surprised us with his starting points before. Last season, for example, he used striped soccer jerseys as a leitmotif. Here, it was the shapes and detailing of westernwear, much of it rendered in pastels—the snap closures, metal collar clips, and yoke seaming of shirts; sequins and silk fringe; a skirt and coat with hip cutouts modeled on chaps; and high-waisted, curve-hugging corduroy. Pushing the theme further, there was a cowboy and bucking bronco print.
Henry’s playful instinct is commendable—it’s what made his Carven tenure a success—but this adventure didn’t pay off quite as he intended. With more refining, the results might’ve been subtler, however these clothes were up against some heavy-handed accessorizing—lace gloves and stockings, saddle bags suspended from belts, supersize belt buckles, and bolo ties. Here and there, a more classic sense of French chic materialized. Henry cuts a good-looking coat. And if there’s one thing all these pastels taught us, it’s that you can’t go wrong with navy and black.
