Vintage postcards found at a Brussels flea market led Cédric Charlier in many directions this season. From his Marais, France, headquarters, he started the walkthrough by showing off how these were translated into a graphic print—their recolored landscapes patterned like a photo album across fresh poplin pieces. Next came the tailoring: namely, a jacket featuring an extra front panel, a cropped and boxy layering vest, and a skirt with angled pleats; all were well constructed if not a little too contrived.
In departing from structure, Charlier landed on attractive looks that would likely prove pleasing to wear: crisp dresses and shirts in curving collages of men’s shirting; a limestone-hued knit dress that skimmed the body with classical pleats and ruched sleeves; dresses draped and fringed with breezy movement; and a technical seersucker trench that he crumpled in its entirety between his hands as proof of its weightlessness.
One of the most interesting discoveries this visit was Charlier’s workmanship with eco leather. He used a micro-perforated version to arrive at a chic shirtdress and an even chicer jacket with a pleated, Watteau-style back. Rather ingeniously, he also used the material to make “belt-bag sleeves” which are exactly what it sounds like: a pouch integrated into a band that mimics sleeves tied around the waist. A quick Google search turns up nothing similar, and given the current fad for fanny packs, this might be the most clever spin yet.
The pieces also offer insight into Charlier’s studied approach, his constant testing of colors and shapes that take twists and turns but stop short of being conceptual. His strength is in proposing complete and wearable looks with no follow-up fussing. The flip side is that this leaves a slight yearning for spontaneity. On the balance, though, he takes his designs to places others don’t, which is usually a good thing.
