From her arrival at Courrèges a little over a year ago, Yolanda Zobel has been discussing the sustainability issue. The house signature vinyl jackets are made from petroleum, which we all know isn’t a renewable resource. Through research, Zobel and the Courrèges team came across an algae-based alternative that apparently uses less plastic in its creation. That’s progress.
Taking the concept further, this season Zobel partnered with Instituto E, a Brazilian non-profit working to transform its country’s production practices. The organization supplied the collection’s Pirarucu fish skin, which Zobel used as a leather substitute. The fish is a staple of the local diet in the Amazon region, but its skin is typically discarded. This too is an admirable project, only the Pirarucu isn’t going to win any beauty contests. The white color of a snap-front jacket was more appealing than the natural brown trim she applied to a cape and a button-down shirt.
For tonight’s show, chairs were set up along the Canal Saint-Martin in the 10th arrondissement, a boat was hired, and the singer-producer Lafawndah was enlisted to perform on its bow—a big production. The models emerged one by one or in pairs from inside the boat in a mishmash of gingham separates overrun by logos, hippie-ish crochet knits with Paris appliquéd on the back, and flimsy Day-Glo ‘60 shifts with triangle cutouts on the chest. Strange wigs and mime makeup accessorized some of the looks. This was Zobel’s third runway collection. She’s taken a leadership role around responsible design, but her design vision and execution so far haven’t proven as sophisticated.
