Pierre Mahéo is feeling blue, and he couldn’t be happier. The designer whittled his color palette down to his two favorite shades, navy and gray, and challenged himself to design a full collection around them.
There was the odd pop of color, including a pink shirt flashing from under a gray velvet suit; a dash of cream peeking from underneath a lightweight navy sweater; and baby blue fabric rosettes adorning lapels, and knitwear.
That was it. Navy and gray, worn together, or tone-on-tone, ruled the day.
“They’re part of my DNA, my personality,” said Mahéo of the colors, which he wears, on repeat, every day. “I wanted to keep this collection pure,” added the designer who called the show Monochro-Mania.
His two-tone rainbow of a collection featured thick rollneck sweaters paired with slim trousers, and other, slimmer knits with round collars in light blue or cream.
He worked velvet, wool, flannel and corduroy into tailored suits with the right amount of slouch.
Mahéo paired a gray herringbone jacket with white denim painters’ pants, and long coats with wooly caps, or scarves knotted at the neck. One model swept down the runway in a navy and gray patchwork cape, while others walked side-by-side wearing identical looks, but in different colors.
Dark blue denim played a starring role, too, in the form of A-line or pencil midi-skirts, jackets with patch pockets and trousers that will no doubt endure in the wardrobes of Officine fans worldwide.
It was a risky move for Mahéo but it should pay off. In an effort to preserve the planet, fashion lovers are looking to buy less, but better, and to whittle down their wardrobes to beloved essentials.
Later this year, Mahéo might not be the only one yearning for gray days, and singing the blues.
Source: WWD