“Back to reality / Oh, gravity is gone.”
When I sat down to review Filippa, those two lines from Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” That line started to echo in my head from K’s fall collection, which translates escapist fantasy into everyday clothing. Creative Director Liisa Kessler rewatched the Werner Herzog 1990 documentary before designing a collection The Great Ecstasy of Woodcarver Steiner Highly recommended Ski suits, especially those from Sweden that are trendy’70. (The brand even teamed up with another Swedish company, POC Sports, to develop technical ski glasses.) Kessler found outlet in Steiner, who describes his sport as “ski flying.” “I started questioning why this movie was so obsessing to me,” she said by phone. “And I have a feeling that the world feels heavy, there’s a lot of anxiety around us, and when I see him fly, I feel a sense of freedom.”
Case Kessler joined in January last year, and his debut collection was a hit. Like many other designers, she decided to take inspiration from the slopes this season; a smart move that builds on the rugged motocross aesthetic that’s been around for a while and offers some new and seasonal stuff. Second-skin ski pants with a vanilla shaft reference the aerodynamics of Steiner ski jumping suits. Another version is available in pale yellow leather with reinforced knees and zippers to easily fit into an urban wardrobe. Kessler leaned more towards this active theme but veered away from the piste instead, which makes perfect sense in terms of brand heritage, re-issuing waffle knits and translating ski layers into casualwear. A ribbed sweater is the ideal airplane look with a matching bib and long johns suit. Kessler also focused on après-ski comfort, wearing puffy coats made from Steiff’s teddy bear fabric or recycled faux fur, as well as cozy sweaters.
1990s Filippa K is Kessler’s North Star, with sheer pleated skirts and corset tops both referencing the era. As for the references to ’70, there were “fur” lined jackets, carpenter pants, brown washed denim and embossed corduroy. A good portion of the series has a “teenage dream” aspect that should appeal especially to Zoomers and millennials. The “black diamond” looks in the collection were well-tailored separates and two evening gowns (a sheer slip dress with floating panels). It’s easy to see these elements as elements Kessler brought over from her time at Saint Laurent, although Filippa K has always made suits, and as the creative designer points out, co-founder Filippa Knutsson was the first to advocate “wearing a suit with sneakers— — the whole approach of mixing dressy with casual and maintaining a relaxed, laid-back attitude.”
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