Lutz Huelle has been busy. He released two collaborations with AZ Factory and is looking after the fashion department at the Geneva University of Art and Design, which he enjoys because it allows him to break free from the fashion cycle and share his experience with the next generation.
That loosened-up, self-assured energy could be felt in his spring 2024 collection as well, where he reimagined high fashion classics, such as a bar jacket or a tweed suit, with a denim twist.
Vintage denim jackets were taken apart and reconstructed with materials that are closely associated with the evening wear category, like sheer polka dot, sequin, and lace — a first in the brand’s 23-year history — and feather-like laser-cut fabric.
The clash of materials and silhouettes resulted in a collection that was elevated for everyday life and smart casual for official occasions. Take the polka dot mesh-clad denim bar jacket, for example, a personal favorite of Huelle’s alongside the gold foil-coated jeans. When paired with the trousers with see-through lace at the front, it’s a tasteful PTA meeting look. But when switching to the ruffle asymmetrical skirt, it serves dinner party host realness.
Huelle reiterated that he is building a continuous wardrobe for those who value clothes beyond seasonal trends. A new season item can easily go together with a 20-year-old Lutz Huelle piece, which is not uncommon among his customers, or him, who has been wearing the same pair of jeans as long as he can remember.
Let’s hope that his pragmatic approach could be passed down in Geneva, and a new cohort of designers can take a long view as Huelle has done instead of rushing to be an overnight sensation with little staying power.
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Source: WWD