With the world in such a state of disequilibrium, one current in fashion seems to be looking back in order to go forward. At Patou, whose ethos under Guillaume Henry is about providing a pragmatic, playful, and not over-priced wardrobe for women, he’s been drawing on all the Parisian fashion tropes of the ’60s and ’70s that are recognized everywhere.
A peacoat, an A-line mini skirt with knee-high boots, a skinny maxi-coat, a little black dress and a little red dress. A cropped jacket with epaulettes and brass buttons. All these useful, relatable pieces of daywear aren’t that easy to find. Smart-ish daywear in general is an underserved market, and Henry is offering something to sort that out.
“I felt for less of storytelling. I want enthusiasm, energy, something efficient,” he said. The collection was almost entirely black, red and brown, with the emphasis on outerwear. Sexier interludes came up in see-through dresses in black or red lace. Yves Saint Laurent of course stirred things up with that first—as he did with the thigh-high crocodile boots and motorcycle jackets that famously got him fired from Christian Dior.
Henry served up a version of that for today’s young customers, too (not in crocodile, of course.) He didn’t want to offer any convoluted rationale for it, which was refreshing in itself. “Simply “ he shrugged, “I wanted to embrace the love of fashion, the love of garment, the love of beauty, the love of elegance.”