Ellen Hodakova Larsson was thinking about the rain. Not in the meteorological sense — it was a sunny September day in Paris on Monday — but for its symbolism.
“I was in this philosophical world of meeting the earth with the rain,” she said before her spring show. “For me, the rain stands for the reincarnation of things” and all manners of cycles.
Given her circular approach, this resonated with the 2024 LVMH Prize winner. Water brought ideas like umbrellas and thatched roofs, which had the Swedish designer segueing toward geometric shapes and “wanting to create something that becomes like a sculpture,” she added.
All this boiled down to a collection where her earlier proclivities for repurposing were juxtaposed with an exploration of architecture-inspired jutting volumes. There were even silhouettes made of blocks of straw thatching.
Among standouts were articulated metal umbrella spokes assembled into exoskeleton-like skirts and shrugs; a flapping cape dress composed of belts; half-a-dozen antique linen tablecloths pintucked into an opulent white gown redolent of Madame Grès’ pleating, and long-line but roomy jumpsuits cut from cotton twill military dress and mini houndstooth wool suits.
The Swedish designer also turned zipper halves into metallic embroideries or, when used in vast quantities, a sheath dress of sinuous metallic strips or a flapper-like mini version. Also catching the eye were shoes, a new introduction for the brand. Hodakova Larsson said she had hand-carved the lasts.
Such a profusion of ideas spoke volumes on the possibilities the designer sees in any existing item. But one couldn’t shake the notion that many of these directions would have deserved deeper exploration.