Alexandre Mattiussi is the consummate fashion fan. To mark the 10th anniversary of his label Ami, he’s nodding to the designers, TV shows, and models that shaped his understanding of the fashion world. On a Zoom call from his Paris studio he name-checks MTV’s House of Style, early Helmut Lang collections, Calvin Klein, and the effortless elegance of Caroline Bessette-Kennedy. After a splashy show on the banks of the Seine last season, he wanted to make something with a little more heart, he explains. Consider fall 2021 his homage to his heroes of modern style.
The collection video stars Adut Akech as the Cindy Crawford of his House of Ami segment. She traverses Paris, talks to the camera, and arrives backstage for the show. It’s a sweet reminder of what we miss about Fashion Week—not just the fashion, but each other.
But, of course, the fashion has to talk too. Mattiussi’s nods to Lang, Klein, and Bessette-Kennedy are abstract, rendered through a minimal, contemporary lens. Suits are the crux of the collection, cut loose and styled with monochrome ties, coats, and accessories. There’s a slickness to a tomato red blazer or an optic white mini that runs counter to the streetwise sensibility Ami usually offers. Maybe it’s a sign of the times. The streets are emptier than usual—when people return, they will surely want to be seen. A boxy cobalt suit will do the trick. The brand’s new bag signals a similar future: a small frame style called the Rendezvous. “It would be fun to meet again,” Mattiussi says. Even more so if we could do it in a maxidress completely covered in fringe.
