For his rich fall collection, Christian Wijnants thought of what is soft, comfortable and cocooning in cold weather. And what sprang to mind were “big, chunky knits and oversized volumes,” said the Belgian designer, who also played with masculine-feminine looks.
Some 45 percent of this season’s lineup is knitwear, from hand-knit pieces to crochet, intarsia and ottoman stitches, in various weights. The ultra-luxurious 15-ply cashmere sweater took five days to hand knit.
Wijnants was also inspired by two favorite artists: contemporary painter Marlene Dumas (“I love her use of colors,” he said) and symbolist painter Fernand Khnopff. The latter’s oeuvres — with mysterious creatures — helped conceive the abstract animal-like prints decorating dresses. These were eye-catching and diverged from the designer’s former, more traditional floral patterns.
As before, colorblocking abounded, with upbeat hues such as lilac, teal and sage. Silhouettes were more voluminous, however, like the men’s coat made for women, cocoon jacket sleeves, an oversized puffer jacket and wide trousers. Wijnants continued his puffer bag line for fall, since it’s been selling well.
For his fashion video, models appeared to be walking through wafting clouds.
