The sculptural dolls by Alexander Girard that inspired Akris’s Spring collection didn’t stick around for long, leaving only a trace of their geometric patterning in the Pre-Fall offering. But the influence of Santa Fe, New Mexico, where the artist lived for 40 years until his death, lingered in Albert Kriemler’s mind and became the key message of this season. From the adobe architecture to the open-air opera, the lifestyle there felt of a kind with the Akris sensibility, and a visit to the Paris showroom yielded sophisticated yet laid-back looks that, intentionally or not, tackled dressing for fluctuating temperatures. The reversible shearling cardigan, for instance, was a perfect assertion of the brand’s discreet luxury positioning—the type of piece you keep forever. Jeans, which figured throughout, were actually made of Sea Island cotton instead of denim; think soft and breathable. And you had to know that the drawstring dresses weren’t nearly as ordinary as they looked; in sheer 100 percent wool, they were well-suited to travel for any variety of occasion. What Kriemler considered to be a track pant was more like a relaxed trouser that matched nicely with a cashmere felt zip-front jacket.
As with any designer referencing a destination, Kriemler’s trip to Santa Fe played up the aspects most suitable to the narrative he wanted to tell. Which is why it might seem curious that there were no immediate nods to the female, arguably more famous, artists who called Santa Fe home: Georgia O’Keeffe and Agnes Martin. In fact, they were very much top of mind, he said, but more in the sense of Martin’s minimalist compositions or the fluidity of O’Keeffe’s forms. Kriemler took a world-wise approach with this collection, imagining a local wearing the devoré check wrap dress in the evening but then still addressing the woman halfway across the world needing refined knits or a seasonless suit.
