For the location of Natalia Alaverdian’s first “official” presentation for A.W.A.K.E., she chose a gallery in Paris's 8th Arrondissement. (Previous seasons had been shown at her studio.) The change in address left the designer, for the first time, feeling a bit limited. “I had to edit,” Alaverdian said, echoing a common refrain from creative spirits in the industry who must operate under the restrictions of available models, physical space, and the stamina of showgoers.
The edited collection was, like earlier ones, themed around an animal. In this case, the jellyfish. (Previous seasons’s subjects have ranged from rabbits and sheep to giraffes and zebras.) The theme inspired a long and winding train of thought, which went something like: jellyfish, kimonos, mariners, merchants, Dutch masters, acid trips. This method of looping together all of her influences might be her most brilliant move. After all, there’s no wrong way to free associate. The jellyfish theme began with the designer’s resort collection and many aspects were carried over to spring: ruffled hemlines, silvery fabric (which, Alaverdian insisted, feels like jellyfish to the touch), and hats with exaggerated curling brims.
Her other influences were more abstract: the Dutch came in during the lookbook photography (taken by Alaverdian), which owed something to Vermeer’s use of light. “Acid trips” were responsible for the swirling neon colors and occasionally clownish proportions—especially in the saggy leather trousers that looked, Alaverdian said, something like what “a 17th century nobleman might wear.” Striped shirting, worn intentionally askew, with kimono detailing in the wrapped waist and collar, was designed in a deceptively clever way that required less from its wearer than, say, a rubberized trench dress. The designer is not new to one of spring’s more prevalent trends—ruffles. “They're kind of our thing,” said Alaverdian. And she used hers best when subtly illustrating her point (those jellyfish tendrils) or adding interest to apron-like tartan sheath dresses and roughly hewn burlap numbers.
