By now, Christian Wijnants has spent enough time in Persia to go granular. Every season, his studio produces hundreds of prints, which are then sifted in order to come up with the season’s statements. For Fall, the designer went deeper into that trip, in pursuit of the girl he imagines might pick up things from every place she visits.
To flesh out his muse, Wijnants focused on details of stitching and fabric development, and included more seasonal embellishments, notably fringe. “This time, it’s more eclectic with more information,” he said backstage before the show.
Wijnants can’t resist a good kitchen experiment, so in addition to the enveloping pillow-like parkas and scarves, checks, and florals, he took one of his signature prints and lacquered it in wax to render it water-resistant. That, along with smocked print tops, exaggerated knit motifs spliced with denim, and caramel leather, counted among the collection’s strong points. Also noteworthy was a bronze brocade trench and a glazed russet biker jacket with blue shearling.
Surprisingly, some of the designer’s signature ceramic-inspired prints married nicely with the season’s checkerboard motif. He also threw in a few wooden-heeled boots—his first official footwear collection. Those looked cool. Now, it just might be time to start exploring a few new horizons.
