“Where are the day clothes?” is a phrase oft heard during fashion month. The pressures of the runway and Instagram and relentless red carpet coverage have convinced designers across the globe of the indispensability of party dresses. Wrongly for the most part. Not Cédric Charlier. The Belgian designer has his focus trained strictly on the hours before dark when women need smart, practical, dependable clothes that don’t default to boring.
These he has plenty of for Pre-Fall, ranging from acid-washed and overdyed denim separates on up through shirtdresses, knits, tailoring, and outerwear. Charlier’s wardrobing approach works as well as it does because of his taste in interesting fabrics. There are a navy peacoat and a black top coat here, but that’s it for traditional materials. He’d just as soon work with bright plaids. The abstract print is apparently a nod to the artwork of Jean-Michel Basquiat. Charlier’s got an eye for details, too, like the twist of draping on a shirtdress which makes its silhouette more flattering—the technique is utilized on many pieces. He also gets points for his clever lug-soled Mary Jane–boot sock hybrid which looks as cool as it will be easy to wear.
