This family portrait – both comical and fraught – is the subject of “Photos from Home,” a film based on Larry Sultan’s 1992 The photo memoir adaptation of the Broadway play, and one of the concepts for Meryll Rogge’s winter-themed fall collection. The album, titled The Holiday Album, was inspired by highbrow and understated sources, Home Alone and portraits of Thomas Struth, including Rogge’s personal memory of Y2K – The Event and aesthetic.
Rogge hails from the snowy climate of Belgium, and her collection includes a collection of ski warmers, including sheath dresses and bodysuits with unexpected pockets to compliment the more straightforward Ski and après-ski looks like quilted nylon jackets and tulle padded pants. The whitest and most luxurious piece was a hand-upcycled shearling coat. Will only make some.
The most notable feature of this season’s suiting was the trouser silhouette; Roeg opted for cigarettes — or in the context of this collection, perhaps a mint bar is a better description — -leg. Those grays are overpowered for a more vibrant and luxurious party look. Known for her hybrid pieces, the designer not only melds tartan with denim jeans but also adds a fishtail or kick hem that reveals a lining that flows as the wearer walks. Plaid was also made to look more like pajamas. Conifers seemed to inspire the A-line, while Christmas tree tinsel was translated into crinkled metal and satin, and many pieces were adorned with large, dense sequins.
One of the best parts of the offering was a pink satin deconstructed dress with mismatched vintage buttons. Roses, for poinsettias, were so obvious, the designers said, adding layering and fun to a pair of Rudolph red panties and a gorgeous hand-embroidered skirt with a Poiret-esque silhouette. There was even a boxy red Lurex “gift” dress that captured the theme most directly.
Lots of fun surprises here, but the series lacks coherence, and the more classic twists and turns of its predecessors. (There are daytime options, but none are particularly tame.) This approach makes sense given the Y2K theme, since the holiday brings together various family members (chosen or real).
This extroverted collection is on display in the bowling alley under the Arc de Triomphe, with the lanes put into use. Rogge said she received “the best compliment I’ve ever gotten” when someone came up to her and said, “For the first time in my entire career, I’ve made friends at Fashion Week.” Designer The goal is to create clothes that make you smile and stay with you for a long time, just like a best friend.
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