Irakli Rusadze has often made political statements through his designs. Not so this season. Despite tensions in his native Georgia ahead of elections next month, he decided his message this time would be focused on the clothes themselves.
The tailored backbone of the genderless collection, pitched as the label’s most commercial yet, was as sharp as ever in shades of black and gray. Eighties-inspired silhouettes accentuated the shoulders, some with subtle pattern details, others in a more exaggerated way, with plays on proportion resulting in almost rounded forms. A corset featured a pair of removable sleeves dangling from its front; disembodiments have been something of a theme this Paris Fashion Week.
Handicraft is an essential element of Situationist’s messaging, and each piece featured a label inside embroidered with the name of the person who sewed it, a nod to the skills of the seamstresses who bring Rusadze’s designs to life. Much of his inspiration came from watching his compatriots and their sense of style on the street, he added.
Mixed in with the tailoring, he loves to play with leather, with which he demonstrated a creative hand here. There was a draped, sculptural sleeveless top in a vivid red that tied in with one of the collection’s prints, a black and red floral picked from deadstock. There was also a lightweight reversible dress and matching cape-collared jacket lined with plaid silk.
Vegan leather options included wide, snakeskin-effect pants with a sheen echoing the other main motif of the season, a leopard print.