Akris A/W 2019 Paris Fashion Week Women's

Moodboard: In a fashion climate that is now surprisingly shifting faster than anyone could have predicted, the jumpsuit has suddenly waned and given way to the rise of, well, the suit. This, of course, is not a trend for Akris, but the brand’s very ‘raison d’être'. It adds a fresh layer of relevance to a house that has always rooted for realistic, comfortable clothes and discreet, yet ultra luxurious chic. On Sunday, Albert Kriemler doubled down on these elements and presented, in an exceptionally narrow catwalk at the Grand Palais (he wanted his audience to really see the quality of the clothes), one of his finest collections to date.

Team work: Akris’ relationship to the arts and artists is another constant, and this season was no exception. Kriemler got inspired by not one but two artworks: Richard Artschwager’s All in Good Time, a series of exclamation points made out of horsehair, an unexpected material with no previous art history references and Goethe’s Farbtafel series, through which the German poet explored his theory of colour. Both were used literally in the collection, not only as ideological inspiration (‘fashion is a conversation between a woman and her clothes, that she is her best self and free. This is what guides my designs and what the exclamation marks are for,’ explained the designer) but also quite literally.

Best in show: The show was opened, surprisingly, by Coco Rocha clad in a crepe suit printed with colourful squares taken from Goethe’s series, and evolved from there, becoming not louder, but more and more discreet. And yet the most toned-down pieces were also the most effective. Peppered with copper-coloured leather boots and a dash of colour, the exquisitely cut suits, ivory pea coats, knee-length skirts and large masculine trousers read as the kind of pieces any women would love to wear. There were also, for the bolder spirits, bigger pieces including an embroidered metallic velvet kimono, a tan suede jacket and an oversized hooded navy blue shearling coat. They all had just the right proportions of sass and chic, and this is what this season’s elegance is being measured by.