The Lemaire 's hours dance

Dawn rises over Lemaire's parade. A pale light at first, which gradually warms up on the reliefs of a desert and lunar no man's land represented on a scenographic canvas of 30 meters. Lemaire didn't choose a theater to return to the runway after a long absence with the men's and women's wardrobe, but a workshop on the outskirts of Paris, where art and craftsmanship intersect to give life to the decorations, already used by the Opéra de Paris. The Berthier ateliers are therefore a link with that authentic, manual way of working that Lemaire has always pushed, beyond the trends to great effect. Like a dance, the show comes to life against the clock, under the direction of Philippe Quesne, freeing the body and the step, as if the mannequins were chasing the variations of light, which absorbs the colors and returns them in filigree. Now lonely, now in tandem, the bodies find a gritty energy in their solemn, almost martial gait.

Sophisticated in their irregular precision. The coats, always voluptuous, enveloping, with androgynous, multi-tasking shapes, have belts whose garments are lost, left floating between a tricot laced at the waist and some flounces. The pleats, accentuated on the marble bustier-dress of a Diana the huntress, are a constant presence, in mutation. While accessories become an integral part of the silhouette, be they belts, purses or enormous saddlebags worn over the shoulder, so large that they almost become an extra thickness. This plurality of elements gives an aerodynamic thrust to the collection and that practical and functional approach that the two designers like. Dresses elaborated with sartorial techniques, with pants belted at the ankles, «to better pick up speed», says designer Christophe Lemaire, spectacular trench coats with oversized proportions, the leather jacket with a genderless allure and fluidly decomposed shirts are the hallmarks of this collection, which relies on Italian and Japanese fabrics. The color palette is typical of the urban adventurer: browns, subdued greens, grays and a warm and charming red.

Judgment. Christophe Lemaire and his partner Sarah-Linh Tran define it as a «valiant silhouette with a fleeting soul». An urban horde in which each one defines its own rhythm but within a pleasant chorus. The proposals in accessories, which have their own exclusive showcase in the boutique in Place des Vosges and which now represent a significant part of the turnover, are growing. (reserved reproduction)