After a few seasons of seduction, it was back to cold-blooded menace for Louis-Gabriel Nouchi.
Inspired by “Perfume: The Story of a Murderer,” the famous 1985 novel by German author Patrick Süskind, the Paris-based designer explored the notion of basic human instincts such as desire, violence and sensuality through textures.
“It was a very violent read,” said Nouchi. “The way it’s written, you feel the [described] sensation physically and this is really what I wanted in this collection.”
To transpose the visceral reaction to smells, he wrapped his models in waxed leathers, silky jerseys and jacquards, including a splatter motif — blood, paint, spilled perfume? — created in collaboration with French artist Sasha Ferré, through a partnership with the Almine Rech gallery.
He also kept his cuts on the formal side, for men and women, owing to the idea this would focus attention on texture and fabric feel.
Throughout, pinstripes were reinterpreted as leather bands assembled on mesh that showed flashes of skin when it curved on the body, or as vertical slashes that doubled up as a nod to artist Lucio Fontana.
A narrow palette of black, oxblood and white served to evoke the obsessive nature of the novel’s protagonist and gave his models a sinister mien even in the middle of a sunny Parisian afternoon.
The impression of sensual fluidity as well as accessories such as glossy slip-on mules from his collaboration with Puma grounded the lineup in the now.
Distilled on realistic, strict but not austere silhouettes, it yielded a handsome collection that spoke volumes about killer tailoring.