JJ Martin hasn’t taken any U turn towards minimalism, yet the La DoubleJ pre-fall vibe was slightly less effervescent and flamboyant than usual. Black-and-white? Statement-solids? Is there some genetic mutation going on at LaDoubleJ?
“Evolution is our natural state as human beings,” the ever philosophical Martin reasoned. “We all need to evolve, and brands need to do that, too.” As always with Martin, art and commerce are inextricably connected. While she’s picking up on a general mood for a less exuberant approach, “it’s something that comes from me, really,” she explained. “I need less noise, less distractions, more spaciousness and stillness in my life and I want to appear in the world as a physical manifestation of that desire.”
The collection was still quintessentially La DoubleJ though, with lots of imaginative prints and new shapes to delight the label’s vast circle of acolytes. Inspired by Martin’s summer vacation sailing through the Dodecanese Islands, motifs referenced the frescoes at Villa Kerylos, a house in the South of France built in Ancient Greek Revival style in the early 1900s. Symbols intended to invoke good luck, as well as a mythological menagerie of serpents and tigers were reproduced in hand-placed prints on long light caftans and easy yet glamorous tunics, as well as on an array of sunny weather pieces that can go from the beach to the city, with lots of dancing to palazzo parties in between.
New introductions included swinging circle dresses with lots of volume; roomy boyfriend shirts to throw over bathing suits after energetic swims; denim jackets for cool summer nights, and bohemian frocks in broderie anglaise, overprinted in tones of faded terracotta to give surface interest as an alternative to flashy imagery. Without straying from the impactful effect expected from La DoubleJ, the collection signaled a subtle shift towards a quieter approach. “We all go through cycles,” Martin said. “As women we’re cyclical beings, and when we’re quiet there’s a lot of wisdom coming through. Our culture doesn’t really honor stillness or quietness, because we feel like we’re not being productive or not being heard.” Martin definitely has a point.