Relâchement at Lemaire

The Lemaire showcase may have been staged in the Marais, but transoceanic (read: hot) was the soul of their summer collection. Designers Christophe Lemaire and Sarah-Linh Tran presented clothing that looked creased and crumpled, as if pulled from a well-stuffed suitcase. The textures were a result of the designers’ use of high-performance fabrics, including ultra-lightweight tropical wool and lyocell, Ventile© coated cottons (water repellent) and habotai silk, which gave a fluid and wet look.
At the start of the presentation, a flurry of dresses (characterised by their brevity) cemented a new direction for Lemaire. One black silk jersey tunic was slashed up to the hip, belted at the waist and adorned with trailing strings of wooden beads. This slash effect was repeated later in the range with a raw umber silk jersey worked back with a scarf in dark khaki.
Menswear looks had all the utilitarian practicality that is archetypal of the 33-year-old brand. Updates included jackets cropped shorter at the waist and trousers cut to parachute leg proportions and tapered in at the ankle (for both masculine and feminine looks). Indigo denim was firm and robust, used for trucker-style jackets and double-pleat-front trousers.
Jackets and trousers were also created in sturdy cotton twill, in both ecru and rice paper hues. The same cotton cloth was used to create a two-piece suit in black. Other outerwear options, such as summer macs, showed a lighter hand. These were rendered in papery cotton poplin, often layered with shorts and oversized button-down shirts.
As with the women's accessories, looks featured bolo and zippered ties, kerb chains slung from belt loops, and western-style belts with metal end tips and keeper loops. Footwear included sandals, mules and babouches. Many of the models toted the classic Lemaire croissant bags—this time oversized—some with jackets slung over them ‘just so’.
The latter part of the collection developed a broader palette with colours that appear lime-washed, sun-drenched, or sun-faded. The overwhelming effect of this collection is a conscious manoeuvre away from the polished minimalism that typifies Lemaire’s unadorned, trend-resistant, but considered clothing. Tran and Lemaire, who have previously described their aesthetic as “romantic pragmatic," seemed to lean further into that sense of romanticism today, adding a more sensual touch to great effect.
Lemaire Teaches Us A Lesson In Subtle Sophistication
By Sophie Martin
Spring 2023
By Rachel Weinberg
Dior’s Playbook for an Elegant Summer
By Jasmine Penman
Rick Owens SS24 Lido Collection
By Lola McCaughey
Paloma Wool: Beyond Beauty
By Rachel Weinberg
Prada Brings 'Ugly-Chic' Back (Again)!
By Carwyn Mcintyre