Of all the collections seen in Paris today, none was more prepared for the scorching heat—and the ensuing sweat—than that of Josef Lazo and Andreas Schmidl. “You have to embrace it, I guess,” said Lazo backstage, “when we first came to view the location it was way cooler.”
The show was hosted at a cozy retro-futuristic space in the 8th arrondissement, and as guests sat (and fanned themselves) on the first floor, we could see models queuing up through a set of oval orange windows on the second floor in anticipation of the show. One couldn’t help but think that if we were all sweltering, there was no way any of the models would walk out without sweat down their backs.
We were right, but it was all for the best. The sweating and glistening damp skin on the models contextualized the collection in a way no makeup artist could have. Lazo and Schmidl’s lineup was set around a short story, written by the latter, revolving around a summer “gaycation.” “Salmon in the Sand,” as the piece is titled, tells the tale of “a gay couple or two best friends” (that tone of ambiguity in the relationship felt accurate and realistic here—if you know, you know) that go on a high-summer vacation to a beach town. If you’ve ever heard of Fire Island, the popular gay haven in New York, the scene was pretty much that: straight off the Meat Rack or the beach and into a shared house. (Worth saying that the range of body types seen here was just as diverse, in that it really wasn’t.)
“There’s a lot to read between the lines in the story,” said Schmidl, hinting at the undertones of sex, cruising, and more in his writing. The clothes, on the other hand, left little to the imagination. There were lusty speedos and singlets—one of the season’s it-items, here finally with a feel of authenticity—and towel-like après-pool dresses and hoodies. Handsome little mesh athletic shorts were paired with thin polos, tank tops, and mesh hoodies. The addition of gift shop trinket belts and necklaces was a nice touch—this is the resort many gay men are in pursuit of, after all. These are two designers who know exactly who they’re making clothes for.
The twist here is that the story, which sees the two men explore different settings from an eclectic vacation home to an idyllic beach and a hiking trail, was offered to guests as a mini graphic zine illustrated by an AI. David Hockney must have been on the moodboard (and in the data fed to the machine); if so, it was an excellent reference at that. It was hard not to think of the artist’s “Splash” series when looking at the zine or the clothes.
It was easy to see this collection in context—this is the way many of my own friends dress during the summer holidays. But one was left with an appetite for more of the playful and unabashed experimentation that is signature to this design duo. A pair of jorts draped just under the waist exposing a built-in thong (yes, on both sides) was an example of the possible outputs here that would have made this charming collection an even bigger splash.
