Held in a gaming venue on the Rue de Rivoli, Ottolinger’s metallic, balloon-ified logo dominated every screen in sight – and there were a lot of them. With a neon-hued showspace and an array of individual gaming cubicles lining the repurposed runway, the stage was set for a digitally inspired and futuristic collection.
And arguably, this is exactly what we got. The presentation opened with a film, produced by SHOWstudio, which saw models strut through a blow-up black latex maze, debuting the new collection in sporadic cinematographic flashes. Set to a pulsing soundtrack from Azealia Banks and Shlømo, the film gave us flashes of what was to come: distressed detailing, asymmetric layering and the uniform for the post-digital it girl.
Then came the physical act of the presentation. As screens flashed to black, models walked out into the gamified show space and debuted the collection IRL. Described as both “a call to attention” and as a “complete transformation of space”, Ottolinger’s new season collection built on its existing design history: outfitting women for the avant-apocalypse.
Deconstructed and reworked pink puffer jackets created singular silhouettes, whilst shearling jackets were tied in seemingly haphazard ways to accentuate new forms. There were mini-dresses and skirts in abundance, but it was a long black lace trained dress which closed the show that saw the brand venture into new territory.
Elsewhere, eyewear was colourful, futuristic and playful, whilst we saw familiar design motifs such as deconstructed, strappy leggings and slim fitted tailoring paired with balaclava style scarves and transparent baguette bags.
As the show notes encapsulated: Ottolinger is for the modern, confident it-girl who both commands and demands attention: “to wear Ottolinger is to be cloaked in confidence, it is a second skin, strapped and tied in an endless knot of amplification. To wear Ottolinger is to be unafraid. To take space. To raise the alarm”.
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