Picking up on where she left off for the fall show, Kim Bekker offered a declaration of intent for next spring. “I wanted to take a step back and refocus on our fundamentals, on what makes Marant so cool, but she’s more grown-up now,” the creative director said during a showroom visit.
There’s been much talk about restraint in upcoming seasons, and Bekker seems to have taken that idea to heart. Spring promises to let color structure the silhouette—in pale neutrals, red, brown, and black. Take, for example, its use on a leather utility blazer, a draped ecru jersey dress draped simply at the hip, or cropped trousers.
“It’s more about attitude and proportion, a need for freshness,” she said of a long, sharp jacket that looked like leather but actually is made of coated canvas. Trousers–looser at the top, slim through the leg—looked cool and relaxed, as did a barrel-cut pant in red leather. Light yet structured materials, like a technical nylon blouson and featherweight fabrics, will work well in a world that is getting warmer by the minute. Embellishments were toned down yet still present, with splashes of shine or touches of animalia, like abstracted tiger stripes on a linen blouse and a cocoon-like faux-fur coat.
While she kept the clothes spare, the designer stepped up a bit on accessories with latticed sandals, the now-classic cleavage shoe, hand-woven belts, and the Mavea tote in raffia. The leopard Pipa bag will likely connect with Marant fans; ditto this season’s hoop earrings and etched bangles.
In paring back, Bekker seemed to be easing the brand toward a more specific, coherent expression that makes sense right now. Though she kept the narrative concise, the designer showed that she masters the offhand, sexy, bohemian vibe that has made Isabel Marant—the brand and the designer—a favorite for more than 30 years.
