Spring 2025 marks Lutz Huelle’s 50th collection and so he called up the National Library of France and asked if he could do a show there for this special moment.
“The ceiling here was inspired by crinoline. So they said: ‘We would love to because we see ourselves as part of fashion,’” Huelle said backstage.
The designer’s deconstructed take on couture techniques and the democratic dressing-up-or-dressing-down-as-you-wish attitude has brought fashion into many people’s everyday lives. The latest collection was another fun experiment of mixing elements from a men’s suit and a women’s gown, and turning them into a wide array of upbeat, playful wardrobe staples suitable for seamless day-to-night transition.
“We changed things around whenever we saw the space,” said Huelle, adding that he enjoys creating garments that come with a je ne sais quoi quality. “The entire tailoring was made more feminine and I lowered the waist to make the silhouette even longer.”
To wit, the archetype of a suit was cut in half with the upper part becoming a cropped top, while the other half got repurposed as a skirt. A classic men’s shirt was fixed onto a bustier top to create a voluminous dress. Oversize T-shirts, shirts and bombers came with lace trims. The pleats seen on a traditional men’s shirt then showed up in jumbo size around the shoulder of denim jacket and duchesse coats.
In addition to reworking jeans into slouchy pants by fixing part of the jeans on a fluid viscose base, vintage scarves were Huelle’s latest material for upcycled fashion experiments. He turned them into flowy tote bags and a top, matching nicely with a draped wool skirt.
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