A visit to Dice Kayek’s Left Bank pop-up shop and temporary showroom began with an invitation to indulge in specialty rose-petal lokum (Turkish delight) and ended with a discussion of the recent coup d’état attempt in Turkey. Between the sweet and the serious, cofounder Ece Ege gave a charismatic walkthrough of her collection; and in their own way, the clothes bridged sweet and serious, too. There were signs of a seaside theme—the meticulously sequined parasols floating from a white shirt in crisp Swiss cotton, and a watery blue trapeze dress with a swirl of frontward ruffle that too obviously conjured a wave. But the creative director was eager to show off her take on denim, which combined Japanese fabric with chambray on flattering jumpsuits and jacket-dresses, as well as her continuing exploration of dramatic silhouettes constrained to black and white. Ege’s comfort zone is full skirts, staggered frills, and stacked volumes that present a certain theatrical flair; all this is possible thanks to her fixation with fabrics that hold their shape (“I’m a fabric maniac,” she quips). If her couture urges occasionally get the best of her, this collection showed she’s no longer holding firm to her dark-fairy-tale aesthetic.
The boutique will remain open through FIAC, the annual contemporary art fair that draws elites of all stripes, and it’s easy to imagine women swinging by for some one-stop shopping: the denim jacket with a pleated taffeta underlayer, a couple of shape-shifting white shirts, the denim culotte skirt, the shimmery silk tulle dresses (ideal for packing), and the tuxedo pants might end up among the purchases. Because as Ege homes in on that sweet spot between the brand’s haute history (Dice Kayek celebrates its 25th anniversary next year) and retail viability, these looks made an impression of money well spent.
