Best in shows: our favourite S/S 2016 collections boldly reinterpreted the past
As part of the Wallpaper* Design Awards 2016, we look back at the fashion houses that rocked our world in the past year. Our favourite sping/summer 2016 collections transported us back to decades past but with bold, new interpretations...
Photography: Hart + Lëshkina. Fashion: Isabelle Kountoure
As originally featured in the February 2016 issue of Wallpaper* (W*203)
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Dior Homme
Kris Van Assche’s spring tailoring adds street swagger to the discreet charms of the bourgeois staples.
Jacket, £2,200, by Dior Homme
Louis Vuitton
Nicolas Ghesquière put a cyberpunk spin on the house’s refined leathers.
Dress, £3,900, by Louis Vuitton. ‘Casalino 2004/00’ chair, €200, by Alexander Begge, for Casala
Proenza Schouler
The New York duo gave the ruffle an architectural grounding for spring with monochromatic tiers that were more fluid than flamenco.
Top, price on request; skirt, £4,530; earring, £395, all by Proenza Schouler
Ermenegildo Zegna Couture
Stefano Pilati’s weightless white tailoring was as light and bright as the brand’s show space.
Jacket, £1,780; top, £420; trousers, £1,780, all by Ermenegildo Zegna Couture
Loewe
JW Anderson defined the season’s metallic movement with his spacey, silver tinsel-sleeved top.
Top, £1,525, by Loewe
Saint Laurent
Hedi Slimane’s show finale of black slip gowns gave a nod to 1990s grunge.
Dress, £3,060, by Saint Laurent by Hedi Slimane. Earring, £395, by Proenza Schouler
Hermès
Nadège Vanhee-Cybulski continued her restrained approach, draping and tailoring leather like it was silk.
Coat, price on request, by Hermès. Shoes, £745, by Proenza Schouler
Calvin Klein Collection
Francisco Costa built upon the house’s 1990s slip-dressing foundations by pairing his silk separates with louche tailoring.
Jacket, £2,140; dress, £1,635, both by Calvin Klein Collection. Earring, £395, by Proenza Schouler
Paul Smith
Not content to rest on his tailoring laurels, Paul Smith’s bold new direction saw flared trousers square up to long-line, 1970s-style blazers.
Jacket, £1,200; turtle neck, £235; trousers, £355, all by Paul Smith
Prada
Miuccia took a magpie approach to spring, marrying clashing fabrics with graphic embellishments that were as rich as they were eclectic.
He wears: jacket, £1,495; trousers, £590, both by Prada. Turtle neck, £235, by Paul Smith. She wears: dress, £3,935; skirt (worn underneath), £7,430, both by Prada. Earring, £395, by Proenza Schouler
Jil Sander
Rodolfo Paglialunga softened up the Sander silhouette, deconstructing and then reconstructing tiered dresses with metal studs.
Dress, £1,200, by Jil Sander
Valentino
Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli explored new frontiers with an American road trip that refined piped shirting and blue denim for the runway.
Shirt, £225; trousers, £395, both by Valentino. Foam bench, price on request, by Parts of Four Home, from LMD/Studio
Tod’s
Alessandra Facchinetti’s modernist take on 1960s rockabilly was punctuated by stamped, paper-bag leather skirts and silk camisoles.
Top, £330; skirt, £5,690; belt, £315, all by Tod’s. Shoes, £745; earring, £395, both by Proenza Schouler
Céline
Phoebe Philo’s spring journey began with musings on the sartorial needs of today’s global nomad and finished with hourglass shapes, courtesy of an elongated rib-knit waist.
Coat, €2,900; dress, £690; boots, €1,250, earring; €650; necklace, €750, all by Céline
Fendi
Sensual cut-outs introduced a new erogenous zone at the house, which also celebrated Karl Lagerfeld’s 50th anniversary this season.
Dress, £2,470, by Fendi