Paris Fashion Week: Sandrine Philippe - Unplugged

Amongst those in the know, Sandrine Philippe is considered to be one of the best menswear designers in Paris, despite not yet being a household name. The autumn/winter ´16-17 menswear collection for her namesake label, the house of Sandrine Philippe intends to say ´goodbye to the ingrained obsolescence of modern society, farewell to technology and au revoir to the numerical dictation of life.´ Both the collection and it´s descriptions were compelling in their content.

The French designer opted for a hypothetical presentation of her collection. The marriage of a deep dark performance space which was enveloped in even deeper darker music set the scene for a post-dystopian affray. The male delineation of Sandrine Philippe Paris is an escape, one which entices its wearer to let go of this overpopulated megalopolis in order to return to their original being, free from the constraints of technology and citations of the modern world. 

Bruised and beaten models, who fought valiantly against the terrene, were the protagonists in her latest dystopian collection which was spread over a double heigh warehouse and mezzanine somewhere in a downtown Paris suburb. In the opening scene, the performance lights dimmed then faded into aphotic obscurity as a heavy haze of smoke set the scene. Next, a ´survivor´ emerged from an alien type egg to perform a series of highly fluid yet staccato moves in time to the foreboding music, taunting us to say goodbye to the world we know today and step back into the world that came before and will come after us.

¨This new Sandrine Philippe man is free of all his contemporary commitments in this overzealous and chaotic world. Reborn, he no longer loathes his derivation but stands steadfast and vigilant in the comfort and safety of his new identity¨ - Charles Daniel McDonald

The capable fused lineations overcame the shows context. Philippe´s passion and talent for adapting leather into unfamiliar textures was unquestionable. This salience to her craft was apparent over the collections range of coats, jackets and tank-tops, most of which were befittingly paired with slim leather trousers sporting disciplined and sharp cuts. Pairing diligently beside these were relaxed fit brushed leather trenches and knit blazers, co-ordinating joggers and post hostility shredded shirts which flowed through the sometimes macabre atmosphere like a vicarious war flag. Detail was the keyword of this collection with a visual extravaganza hiding within every garment. From intricate leather strapping to an exceptional woollen coat with Ostrich plume in graduated tones, these were just some of the details that stood out in meriting closer inspection.

Her current offering could be describe as clouded and enigmatic, but it is this spirit of the unidentified that makes this collection so captivating and engraves the future legacy of Philippe as both a proficient narrator and designer urging us to accept a darker side of the post apocalyptical male aesthetic that was abnormally caliginous but exceptionally beautiful.