Filippa K went back to the future for Fall 2018 with a confident collection that underscored the brand’s core values of “style, simplicity, quality.” The clothes were designed by Filippa Knutsson, who returned to the company she cofounded 25 years ago after taking some time away from the atelier for personal reasons. In a recent interview Knutsson spoke about how fashion has come full circle since the label launched in the early 1990s—the decade fashion can’t get enough of. Without giving in to nostalgia, Knutsson brought that point home in layered ways. Yes, there were slip dresses. There was also a stellar cast: The first look (presented to the strains of Portishead’s “Sour Times”) was worn by Georgina Grenville, a cult 1990s model who is once again enjoying time in the spotlight. The rest of the music was provided by Say Lou Lou’s Miranda and Elektra Kilbey-Jansson, who also walked in the show. In a preshow interview, the sisters said they wanted to “include a soundscape and music from the ’90s,” a time when their mother wore the brand’s “iconic spaghetti-strap tops.”
Knutsson’s personal investment in the line keeps its minimalism from becoming flat, boring, or ascetic. A perfectly cut and affordable navy peacoat is something a lot of people can get excited about. Ditto the way Frida Gustavsson turned up the volume on a turtleneck sweater and skirt. Knutsson has described Filippa K as an “intelligent alternative to extremely high-priced brands,” and with this collection she proved once again how very smart her wardrobe essentials—from a pantsuit to an asymmetric silk skirt—can look.