From her Marais showroom, Barbara Bui suggested that, after many years of keeping ultra-low-key, she has been mulling over whether to hold a presentation again. Her men’s collection seems to have found its groove and her sleek suiting and expert way with leather (often one and the same) registers strongest when viewed up-close.
For now, Bui continues to propose a dressier offering during ready-to-wear compared to the core collection of daywear and outerwear that she prepares for January and June. Technically, it’s one season split into two deliveries. New here are the ivory embroideries and fringe; back again are the pareo over-skirts—only now, they appear in a vaguely punk tartan and a more fanciful graphic print featuring a tiger. If it’s hard to spot him (or her) amidst the black-and-white flora, there’s no missing the feline face filling the front of a top and tuxedo jacket in lustrous sequins. A statement this fierce is not for everyone, hence a spectrum of pieces featuring leather—pleated pants, a jumpsuit, a boxy Spencer, a bustier, and more—each projecting an assertive attitude. “I liked the idea of all-leather; it’s at the origin of the house, something we have been doing since the very beginning,” she said.
Given that the look book is composed mainly of photos against a black background, the details that define these looks can be difficult to make out, even if Bui rightly notes out that you see how the light catches on a pair of vinyl pants versus the leather. The black-and-white images, meanwhile, are a nod to those taken by David Bailey nearly 20 years ago. There is something powerful to an aesthetic that has held up all this time, whether or not it is considered buzzworthy. Maybe it’s time Bui remind everyone of that.
