Guillaume Henry has really embraced the idea of offering something for everyone at Patou, evidenced by his spring film, which showed a believable procession of female archetypes, from the busy woman and the executive to the influencer and the couture model. “It’s the idea of the house and the street, the atelier and daily life,” said Henry, who compared this compact collection to a menu with limited options organized into weather-appropriate drops. “When there are too many things on the menu, it starts to get a little weird,” he reasoned.
The look: Swashbuckling for the contemporary woman — or man, as the label has also attracted a male following — with urban twists like sweatshirt-style tops and cropped parkas juxtaposed with ladylike blouses and pretty pleated separates. There’s an element of playful seduction.
Quote of note: As a seasonal twist, he looked to classic French tales, “not fairy tales because I don’t believe in princesses. I prefer the idea of heroes,” he was quick to add. This theme fed the prints and voluminous flourishes in this collection, titled “La Pantesie,” a portmanteau of Patou and fantasy.
Key pieces: Versatile blouses and tops that can be switched up thanks to smartly placed lengths of grosgrain ribbon; printed separates that went from the elegant shapes imagined by 18th-century architect Jean-Jacques Lequeu to ones inspired by Christian Bérard; the canvas outerwear in varying lengths. And who wouldn’t crack a smile at the tiny golden tea set adorning the costume jewelry of the season?
Takeaway: Many designers talk about building a wardrobe, but few manage to make that feel as easy as Henry has. “For me, it’s about embracing the idea of [addressing the need of a] client, but always starting with a story,” he said. The most believable one he’s come up with? The “choose your own adventure” he’s been offering every season so far.
