The combination between the sounds of Vangelis and the aesthetic of Ridley Scott’s 1982 movie “Blade Runner” really sat with designer Natalia Alaverdian when she started working on her fall collection.
As overtailored as Rachael, the lead female character played by actress Sean Young, is, her wardrobe therefore influenced the lineup at A.W.A.K.E. Mode.
Out came big-shouldered jackets and coats, dresses that draped around the body, long-and-lean knitwear in which tailoring took pride of place, hitting the suiting and back-to-business wardrobe impression that’s been intensifying as the Paris shows progressed.
Not that any of these silhouettes looked buttoned up or stuffy. Textures were intriguing enough for closer inspection and perhaps even a touch, to see if they felt the way they looked.
There were moments where cuts were cinched just that little too much, heels just too out of balance, asymmetries just too off-kilter. But that also hit on-theme with the instinctive reaction people have faced with the uncanny resemblance androids display.
And those fluffy trousers, one of the sub-trends of the season — Alaverdian added them as an element of humor to “maybe warm your butt a little bit, maybe it gets a little scratchy.” After a Paris Fashion Week under a late-winter cold snap, that was definitely a relatable sentiment.
