The invitation in a magnificent tartan box already gave us a few clues. This season will undoubtedly be an ode to private detectives and British elegance. And that’s certainly the case with this Fall Winter 2011-2012 collection, which certainly wouldn’t have displeased Sir Conan Doyle.
Right from the start of the show, the tone is set: we’re at a crime scene. Inspired by detective stories from across the Channel, Antonio Marras had fun playing with all the classics of so-British elegance, and gives us his own conclusions, with evidence to back them up, on this investigation of style, from gentleman-farmer to London bad boy to City golden boys.
The artistic director of Maison Kenzo proposes a resolutely contemporary and chic style, reinterpreting the classic codes of the men’s wardrobe: three-piece suits, leather gloves, vests, bowler hats, bow ties and ties are on the program for a style that can be described as neo-dandyism. By freely combining the formal and the casual, Antonio Marras creates an original yet elegant style that everyone can make their own, choosing each piece according to their needs and desires, and layering colors, details and prints.
English inspiration is undeniable in this collection, and is reflected in the centerpiece of the wardrobe: the jacket. With one or three buttons in the tailoring version, it finishes high on the pelvis, revealing a vest or knitted sweater worn over a shirt and tie or bow tie. It’s available in both constructed and completely unstructured versions, in classic wool or Milano jersey. A chic version on classic silhouettes, it knows how to be more modern associated with denim, in different textures and colors.
Pants are worn high on the navel, finely belted. Straight, patchwork or Bermuda shorts, they offer a wide range of cuts and materials to suit every taste. Sometimes, they’re covered with a strip of kilt, a nod to Kenzo’s origins.
Layering is the order of the day, and layers follow one another from shirts to overcoats, with an unmistakable sense of detail and a taste for harmonious tones and textures. To protect against the cold, Antonio Marras relies on timeless sureties: short leather jackets, short coats, fur coats, shearling coats and warm jackets are the order of the day.
One of Antonio Marras’ strengths is that he always manages to modernize the codes of the House of Kenzo. Squares and lines, florals and plains, mix and match to create a new harmony of pattern, contrast and play. Tartans and jacquards stand out. Antonio Marras knows how to highlight autumn colors like no one else. We’re delighted to find his bright, magnetic green mixed with orange, fiery red and yellow. Grey predominates, sometimes replaced by black.
Kenzo’s Autumn Winter 2011-2012 collection will be chic, modern and undeniably British-inspired, with a rich and varied wardrobe. By offering us a collection that can be customized, Antonio Marras has once again succeeded in proving that fashion according to Kenzo is a universal fashion where everyone can create their own rules of the game. And what better example than Antonio Marras himself, who doesn’t hesitate to wear his creations.
The show’s star piece: the jacquard knit cardigan, found on virtually every silhouette, making any casual outfit chic.
Marie-Odile Radom
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