There’s every chance that Roland Mouret could do that signature folding technique of his blindfolded. Mouret is quite the expert at manipulating fabric, exquisitely transforming a décolleté or hipline with a few deft folds. So blindfolded, yes, but not in his sleep: There’s nothing rote about Mouret’s handiwork. Even now, two decades and counting from when Mouret first did it in London for refined-yet-raw collections that helped kickstart the demi-couture phenomenon, his folding remains as instinctual as ever. (Not to mention widely imitated.)
“Louise Wilson [the late legendary Central Saint Martins fashion tutor, a force to be reckoned with] told me once, ‘You’re the best student I never had,’” Mouret said, with a laugh, via Zoom recently. “The question is, how do I take 20 years of a career and do that folding today? Even with simplicity, there’s the necessity of having to have a signature.”
Which brings us to the current incarnation of the Mouret label, in business partnership with Han Chong of Self-Portrait. It is intended to engage with a newer (and younger) customer as well as Mouret’s loyal fanbase. Yet there’s still plenty of that thoughtful construction going on, a contrast to the sleek and (relatively) simple oomph of the silhouettes, be it the draped fan of fabric that unfurls over one shoulder of a lean dress in acid lime and an emerald green jumpsuit, or the bias draping across the midriff of a red floor-length dress.
Newer for Mouret are the spangly flourishes going on here: A sliver of glitter peeking from out the neckline of a black mini dress—or given full rein as aquamarine sequins. Like much of what’s on offer here, that watery blue-green shimmer sings. Despite the elegance of Mouret’s black, this collection is an ode to bright, optimistic hues. “It’s therapy, it’s a tool of our wellbeing—color is important,” he said. “I am an extremist and a minimalist at the same time. I need to express life through color.”
