It’s no secret that fashion takes itself a bit too seriously sometimes - so when something comes along that disrupts the rigmarole, it’s a refreshing welcome break. Ottolinger did just that, making its whole process a playful poke at fashion’s stuffy conventions.
First came the save the date and invite - an email that many would’ve missed or put straight to junk, as it resembled a spam sex-bot. Coming with a redacted nude, extracts read “hey hej mysterious one :) I hope you are not mad that I am so free and wild and just email you out of the blue - but since you are not here with me, I thought: why not? And it looks like it was meant to be: we will be in PARIS at the same time, couldn't be better? Could it?
I believe in destiny and sometimes we only have to dare. So now I am really curious and would love to know more about you. Maybe you want to tell me something. Dirty? I think there will be a lot to talk on October 2nd, 1pm - better save the date”.
No, Ottolinger89xx, it couldn’t be better. When the time came, guests filed into a gallery in central Paris filled with mattresses - where you’d find attendees lounging, looking uncomfortable, or trying to find a spot that wasn’t directly on top of someone else. Included on the FROW - although can you really have a FROW in a floor of mattresses? Was Rickey Thompson, the Clermont Twins and Sita Bellan - the it-girls of fashion month who’ve been, well, everywhere.
If the setting, low buzz of chatter and natural lighting were enough to send you into a doze, the show’s start would ensure to bring you out of it - pounding beats and strobe lights pierced through whatever sleep-induced phase the sheets may have brought about. From here, models walked with high energy through a twisting catwalk between the mattresses, injecting a riotous freedom into proceedings.
The collection itself was an updated take on Ottolinger’s of-the-moment aesthetic: layered skousers with trailing attachments, matching trompe l’œil two pieces and spray-on skinny thigh high boots, to name just a few. We saw new iterations of everyone’s favourite sunglasses, too - chunky, abstract and colourful frames, polarised lenses and metallic pieces formed a seriously strong eyewear lineup.
Interestingly, the ultra-Y2K aesthetic was largely bypassed (save for a few micro top and baby pink handbag combinations), with Ottolinger instead choosing to hone and develop their own signatures: deconstruction, high-peak cut outs and ripped up silhouettes. We also saw a few sweeping dresses - coming in mesh, lace and jersey, which signalled a move into a more focused high-fashion future for the brand. In all - Ottolinger was a joy to watch, experience and observe - good thing we dug through our spam inbox.
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