It’s interesting to see how the new generation of brands in Paris reinterpret Martin Margiela. Vaquera nods to the grittiness and rawness of the famously anonymous designer; Marie Adam-Leenaerdt references the conceptual aspect of the garment. Just like the legendary Belgian visionary, Stockholm-based Ellen Hodakova Larsson has a similar interest in the daily objects and upcyling, which she revisits through artisan techniques. Hodakova‘s spring-summer 2024 was created from selected with great care fabrics that she found in warehouses, tag sales, and secondhand shops; as such, they don’t have the happy, shiny newness of something wrapped in plastic or right off the rack. Plus Larsson chooses to work with not only easily translatable finds, like suiting, but also slightly ickier ones: nylons and brassieres. The designer specifically thought about the beauty ideal in this lineup. Her flower dresses were a reaction to filters and body modifications that seek to trap youth in amber. In response, Larsson said she “captured beauty – beauty that actually ages.” A dried flower might not have the same allure as a fresh-cut one, “but it still has a beauty.” These flora were preserved in silicone and individually, lovingly, hand-sewn onto linen.  Then, the designer used lipstick this season as a metaphor for “perfection and desire,” she said. The counterpart to those tubes of rouge were ink-filled ballpoint pens. This collection included many greatest hits, all thoughtfully considered. The plastic used for the finale dress was repurposed from last season’s version, for example. New for the season was menswear, which, though twisted, had a classical feel, as did a lovely dress made of vintage tablecloths that was an actual pillar of minimalism. It was a sartorial equivalent of a blank page, much like a white shirt can be. A plain button-down paired with a spiky pencil skirt took on a kind of note-to-self function, showing the audience that these special pieces can be grounded with wardrobe staples. 

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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