One of the great things about fashion is that it can be full
of surprises. In what universe might you think that the words restraint,
conservative, sportif and soigne would ever be applied to a collection of
Philipp Plein? In other words ... a pig just flew by my window … again!
Please don’t get the wrong impression that Mr. Plein has
deserted the DNA and vocabulary that catapulted him to fame and success but
what he has done is to rein it in to a much more palatable point where the over
the top quotient has been drastically reduced. You might think I am describing
a drastically more sedate collection than in the past when it fact what you get
to see is Plein shining by doing what he does best and that is showing off. Designers design!!
The Spring collection is rife with salable, that awful word
again, signature Plein and offers a view
of the designer without all the bells
and whistles that we are accustomed to seeing each season. There are the
obligatory lacerated jeans and the plentiful use of croco as well as oceans of studs
and rock star flourishes but what suddenly becomes blatantly apparent here is
that here are real clothes that don’t hide behind the embellishments. I was
enamored with the denim blazers, the tennis and striped sweaters, the use of
bouillon emblems and the vast selection of jackets. Even the signature skull
and cross bones has been downplayed to great effect as if mimicking those
embroidered pants from Brooks Brothers of long ago. His whole take on Spring is
very refreshing with nauticals and red, white and blue and denims.
I would like to say I am impressed with this collection and
hope that it is a harbinger of what’s to come in the future. Mr. Plein has
surely done his homework and he has tamed his designs without diluting or redefining
who he is and that would be a big BRAVO to him! Without question, he chose a
far more difficult path than a total reinvention and he pulled it off
seamlessly.
PS … Philipp Plein is
coming to a lucky city near you … very soon …. Hint …. Bi-coastal!
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