For fall, Anthony Alvarez Graff hit pause, trading a packed-out show for a cocoon of a private showroom in the upper Marais.
“This is really a moment of synthesis for us,” the designer explained, adding that taking a break allowed him to focus on archetypes and more fully pursue ideas. “I love doing the show because it’s a reunion. But you always have to drop the pen when you’re focusing on too many things besides design. You’re always chasing the next season; you’re always a season late,” he said.
Looking at this tightly considered lineup, he made the right call: the collection was full of intention and brimming with thoughtful details—from the new brand insignia to tiny tonal leaf embroideries, molten silver studs, and slim grosgrain trim—all of which would have been washed out by klieg lights.
Alvarez Graff explained that what really interests him right now is “designing into the tension between formal and casual.” Take, for example, a pair of cargos—not too standard, not too baggy—worked in a cargo print punctuated at the pockets by studded patches in pony skin and leather. Outerwear looked strong, from a jacket in cracked “marble-esque” blue leather to a plaid bomber in a mohair mix, and a funnel neck olive trench with a leather accent under the collar. For the boldest among us, there’s one in a sea green canvas with leopard trim, too.
The designer also brought different worlds together through craftsy touches. Boxy collared cardigans featured a floral patch embroidered with glass beads or a mashup of hand-embroidered patches, a flourish that also cropped up on sand-washed jeans with a pre-loved feel and finish. A striped shirt featured a twill breast pocket and different-colored buttons for a “collected” feel. A getaway to catch the Vertigo exhibition at the Fondation Carmignac contemporary art center on the isle of Porquerolles inspired plaids showered with droplet crystals and a couple of smart ribbed sweaters with discreetly distorted lines. Carryovers included new iterations of the Bad Bunny-famous embroidered cap and a Chelsea boot version of the brand’s studded loafer.
Of those pieces, Alvarez Graff offered that he wanted to show “how a new balance can come from a moment of instability.” Coats aside, it would be interesting to see a bit more formal in the mix, but there were plenty of strong and subtly playful pieces here.
