After several days marked by epic traffic jams and steadily rising temperatures, it was a relief to gather in the tranquil courtyard of the National Institute for Deaf Youth in Paris for the Patou show on the tail end of Paris Couture Week.
Guillaume Henry chose the location in the Latin Quarter for its obvious cinematic qualities. “It could be a set from a film by Jacques Rivette or Claude Sautet, and I can totally picture the first exit of the show as the first scene of a movie,” he said backstage before the display, in which he brought to life a fictional character called “Rose.”
The designer’s lineup of sporty chic silhouettes was inspired by the retro allure of actresses like Stéphane Audran and Delphine Seyrig. “As a kid, I didn’t grow up with fashion magazines. I grew up with film characters,” he said. “Like a director choosing his actresses, I wanted to celebrate selfishly the women who inspire me.”
His eclectic and glamorous front row included Katie Holmes, Maya Rudolph, Kelly Rutherford and a bee, which gatecrashed a conversation between Constance Jablonski and Stefanie Powers, prompting the model to jump out of her seat. Zooey Deschanel stepped in to gently shoo away the insect with her fan.
The opening look, an ecru belted jacket and midi skirt, telegraphed the bourgeois chic of the 1970s, while also capturing the sportswear heritage of the brand. Those nostalgic for the French film heroines of Claude Chabrol, Claude Lelouch, et al, might opt for a midi skirt paired with a men’s shirt with matching neckerchief and clunky gold jewelry.
For the Gen Z set, Henry offered fresh takes on the micro skirt trend popularized by Miu Miu with barely-there bubble skirts that he paired with everything from fine ribbed sweaters to tailored jackets and a crisp cropped cotton poplin drawstring shirt.
He nodded to the dropped waistlines of the 1920s by adding wide low belts to his tiny shift dresses in baby pink and blue tweed. Pink striped shirting fabric added a cool edge to a pretty halterneck dress.
The designer’s skill lies in perfectly capturing the essence of French girl style. It could be something as simple as his take on a black blazer, white shirt and flared jeans, or a distinctive look like the one-shouldered polka dot minidress that seemed to be lifted straight from the wardrobe of Lily Collins in “Emily in Paris.”
His final three looks brought petal shapes to life, concluding with a graceful pink taffeta gown topped off with a graphic bow. “I wanted to bring back a subtle vocabulary. The world is aggressive enough,” he said. “I wanted Rose to bring a little sweetness.” Mission accomplished.