Isabel Marant, the designer, is still very much in the house. But her decision to take a step back from some aspects of the job—seasonal previews among them—has given creative director Kim Bekker a chance to plumb questions about desirability and relevance, while incorporating intel gleaned directly from the shop floor as the brand eases into its fourth decade.
“In fashion we can do so much, we can show our creativity, but in the end, you have to want to wear it,” Bekker said during a showroom visit. “For us, this season is about being honest with ourselves about who we are—where we stand fashionwise. For me it was important to understand and make sure we are still aligned with reality.”
The archives offered up plenty of inspiration in terms of shape and silhouette, which Bekker moved to contrast by playing up texture—think lingerie knit, leather, and velvet—and arty embellishments. The opening look, a marigold faux-fur jacket paired with glam drop earrings, sequined slingbacks, and eggshell capris, seemed to channel Carrie Bradshaw and will likely connect with latter-day fans. Another statement: an easy white dress with restrained batwing sleeves, little cocktail buttons, and a tumble of embroidered foliage. Jackets looked particularly strong, whether as part of a sharp-shouldered pin-striped suit or a soft leather number with crisp flap pockets and enhanced padding inside. A slouchy workwear-inspired jacket in linen and cotton with a subtle sheen nodded to the ’90s by way of Armani. (“Those materials are hard to get these days,” Bekker noted.) For Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy obsessives, a cognac-colored slip dress with a low-cut back blended simplicity with sensuality.
That shade was a high note in a collection that warmed last season’s earthy palette by a couple degrees, anchoring black, white, and denim with punched-down red and desert hues.
About those capris, which are shaping up to be a major marker of the season, Bekker added that fashion’s ongoing infatuation with the ’90s wasn’t the only reason they felt right again: Last summer, she found herself looking for them everywhere. “I had this urge to have them; they have this essential elegance that I quite like because it shows off the legs in a different way,” she explained. She returned to the studio with a newfound resolve. “I thought, I want those pants; we have to bring them back. In the end, you make what you can’t find.”
