Maxime Simoëns is back on track. Following last season’s palate cleanser, the designer has given quite a bit of thought to what couture could mean now, where ready-to-wear fits into the picture, and how to tackle menswear. In the end, he decided to put them all together in a collection whose baseline was “diversity and mega-glamour with a twist.”
Although this outing was mainly couture, the high-end, ready-to-wear, and “atelier” bespoke creations for men were coherent additions to Azzaro, a house best known for sequins, shine, and seduction. In his search for a more casual vibe, the designer threw himself into fabric development, coming up with a gold brocade, leopard motifs in burnout velvet, sparkly tweed weaves in denim and gold, and several variations of silver and gold lamé jersey.
“It’s not really a unisex proposition, but you get the sense that a woman could borrow her man’s jacket, and some of the men’s pieces borrow from the women’s, because they’re both romantic but androgynous,” the designer mused backstage before the show.
That offhand attitude translated into skinny, rock-inflected looks such as white trousers swinging with chains, a pretty black dress flecked with gold motifs, and a number of looks that would be right at home at this Sunday’s Grammys. The “cherry blossom” velvet sheath dress embroidered with pearls and gold discs could easily take to a red carpet anywhere.
Simoëns also looked to the house archives for inspiration, offering a toned-down take on Azzaro’s best-known design, the iconic three-ring dress, this time with nine rings. The Bravo Baratin, another house classic, was revisited in embroidered chiffon. So was a black mini with a top in strands of gold chains. “I’m not looking to reinvent everything. When a dress is good, sometimes all it needs is a little adjustment to fit with the times,” the designer said. He also revisited his own archives, sending out pieces in matte and shiny sequins that will likely find fans across Azzaro’s base.
“I feel like we’re living in a time where customers aren’t interested in the traditional constraints of couture,” the designer observed. “I want to invent an easy couture so they don’t feel like they are wearing a disguise.” The effort was sincere—let’s see where it leads.
