Christian Wijnants could not host a presentation this season due to the coronavirus pandemic. In these extenuating circumstances, Vogue Runway has made an exception to its policy and is writing about this collection via photos and remote interviews.
Despite upheaval and upset, Christian Wijnants says that lockdown revealed one upside: it let him reconnect, at last, with focus. He also decided to grow a mustache, just for fun. “This time was unique, because there was so much to tend to and no office chaos. I found that when you don’t have to multitask, your thoughts are less superficial,” the designer offered via Zoom from his studio in Antwerp.
Transposing that attitude to his clothes, Wijnants said he would concentrate, now and in the future, on what’s essential. Having decided that continuity feels right, he put together a resort collection but tightened its scope. For every piece he wanted to do, he said he tried to get straight to the point, asking himself: “If I only had one of this, what should it look like?”
He then went about zeroing in on a single answer while striving to make each piece as versatile, trans-seasonal, and long-lasting as possible. A buttonless trench with batwing sleeves and a billowing cut illustrated the designer’s current cocooning mood. Drop-shouldered, slouchy jackets, shirts, and a down-filled blanket coat made a bid for comfort, as did a handbag made from the same puffer material that Wijnants suggested might double as a pillow whenever commuting and travel start up again. A couple of sleeveless, twist-detail midi-dresses—one white, the other a black-and-green floral—looked like they could go just about anywhere.
For the knitwear his base loves, the designer for the first time handled prints all on his own, looking to the art, objects, peonies, and even the ficus plant in his own home, and using felt highlighters to translate colors and patterns for often oversized, easy-to-layer pieces (some in denim) with an optimistic vibe. As one who has been wishing fashion would embrace structural change, Wijnants notes his
new mantra is “fewer, stronger, better.” It suits him.
