By a quirk of fate, the Christian Wijnants Spring 2020 show took place the same day as the midnight marathon in Doha, Qatar, a women’s global track and field event. Ruth Chepngetich of Kenya won that race in 2 hours and 32 minutes. Instantly iconic shots show her holding her country’s flag behind her, wing-like. It was exactly the kind of moment Wijnants said he was trying to capture during a backstage conversation before his show just hours earlier.
“I love escapism, but instead of choosing a place, I wanted to keep things vague with the idea of a flag and graphics, like the way you see them on winners at the Olympics,” Wijnants explained. He also cited his admiration for the California-based African-American artist Henry Taylor.
Wijnants gamely used his talent as a colorist to make a case for pairing papaya with baby blue in his opening trouser suit, or putting a skirt with an asymmetric panel in that hue with a tangerine, black and white striped knit top. In a season spilling over with sequins, he offered up a trompe l’oeil print he created using bubble wrap, as well as real sequins for an abstracted leopard print on a sky blue ground. A sleeveless jacket with cropped pants looked cool and polished, as did a pair of two-tone halter dresses. Separates with ripple motifs and a series of maxi dresses offered up some convincing combinations, although the flowy theme could have withstood a stiff edit. Meanwhile, a hand-woven white shell and skirt ensemble was as pretty and polished a take on the crafts theme as this reviewer has seen this season. Graphic ebony earrings and loopy, wrapped hairdos flew the flag for cool, too.
