Heliot Emil’s Burning Man runway moment on Instagram had a smoky vibe; the presence of professional stuntmen in the flames gave the models time for a second look. And, hey, form and function are always at the top of the Julius Juul agenda – though most often used to enhance design rather than drama.
For those introducing the Danish brand for the first time, browse through Paris Fashion Week content today. Brothers Victor and Julius Juul launched a collection named after their great-grandfather on 2017. Victor handles the business side of things, while Julius has worked in advertising in Manhattan, working with clients such as Calvin Klein, Hood by Air and Donda, and being mentored by tailor Kevin Johnn. In 2022, Heliot Emil was shortlisted for the ANDAM Award.
This is the third time the brand has shown in Paris, and the collection remains the same as its predecessors before; dark, dystopian, focused on scale play and material development (e.g., exterior the fabric in it was melted). Designers have been talking about customizable or convertible clothing lately; Juul is all about it. The zippers that wrap beautifully around the legs are functional, some can be opened and closed, while others can be detached or reattached to the entire garment. Snaps serve the same purpose, and Juul notes that the brand will release a video showing the different ways a jacket from the fall collection can be restyled.
The series takes its name from the work of the artist who inspired the series, British sculptor Henry Moore. Juul explains the appeal: “He makes these fairly large, semi-abstract sculptures where he does mess up the dynamics of the human body a little bit so you can see there’s some shape — some legs or some form—but it’s stretched in an interesting or weird way. And then depending on which angle you look at it from, you really feel like it’s alive in a different way.” It’s hard to see that in this series, it’s The down-knotted tie seemed to owe more to Nobuyoshi Araki’s bondage eroticism; the show opened with a model wearing a strap across his chest. After a few glances, the model’s arms are bound to form an empire shape. This style is mostly used in women’s clothing. The gap between the revealing of women’s looks and the concealment—almost threatening anonymity—of men’s looks is wider than it was in the previous season. When asked about it, Juul explained that he was looking to balance the values expressed in the “industrial elegance” brand ethos. “I think that what is considered classy can also be somewhat more exposed or fragile, and then what is considered more industrial is something rougher and harder.” That sounds like another way of saying, girl is Soft, while men are the opposite.
Disappointing to find this old-fashioned dichotomy in Heliot Emil, which is futuristic and refreshingly nostalgic in so many other ways brand. Juul is a “future-seeker” who has been fascinated by technology since childhood. He sees the future as dystopian, “but in a fun way that’s not scary.”
The full-face balaclavas worn by the male models are terrifying. Juul said he wished to remain anonymous and draw attention to the silhouette. Many of these, like the second look, which features the “inconspicuous down monster,” are exaggerated, but in many cases can be simplified through the use of custom fasteners. As always, there was an element of protection in the garments; this season some of them were created in size and shape using sponge compression knits and molds, which complemented the softness of down jackets, including boot covers.
Here are the sharply tailored pieces, especially those with zippers, that combine precision and adaptability to really spark the imagination. You could even say they are “fire”.
