Now, when there’s no Margiela around (in terms of really experimental, subversive, avant garde fashion) hopefully we have Vetements. 

Vetements is a young Paris based fashion label run by an international collective of seven designers trained at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, Die Angewandte in Vienna and Studio Berçot in Paris. Their Fall 2015 collection was recently showed at Paris Fashion Week. The show, held in the basement of Paris’ famous gay club Le Depot displayed oversized jackets, asymmetric dresses, sporty harnesses and skin-tight snakeskin platforms. With a casting of real people everything looked bold, subtle, odd and really creative in terms of  product design.

In French, “Vetements” literally means “clothes” – it’s simple. The design approach goes into the same spirit: it’s about producing beautiful clothes that are made to be worn. However, there’s a particular energy embedded in these deceptively simple outfits. Of course, the styling adds a particular flavour to the overall look, but even so we can feel there was a great concern in the making of the garment. Working on a piece of clothing, exploring its hidden details, subtly reconfiguring shapes and lines, taking risks – these preoccupations are extremely rare these days.

Vetements’ fashion esthetic, the way they play with proportions and volumes, the mix of raw with sophisticated details may seem margielesque, like their choice to remain invisible as creative individuals. Anyhow, there’s a new breath and many possibilities that can start from here, while being anonymous is an act of courage today more than ever. Focusing on well-done basic pieces above anything else, Vetements it’s not just a label but a genuine project by itself.

Vetements Fall 2015, catwalk images via style.com