Bulbous Shapes. Duran LaNtink AW24

There’s no way you haven’t seen oneof those bulbous denim shorts or red dresses in one of the latest editorials (or magazine covers). Stylists went crazy for Duran Lantink‘s spring-summer 2024 collection, being his big break-through moment. Garments with built up shoulders and hips with padding, torsos exaggerated with stretchy body stockings: these extreme proportions make for great photos, and are just really fun to play around with. For his autumn-winter 2024 collection, the Dutch designer is on a similar wave of thought (big shapes and sustainable approach to garment-making) but with hints of commercial sensibility. Instead of delving into such summery essentials as bathing suits and lifesavers, he trained his attention on wintery gear like ski sweaters, long johns, and cozy wool socks, complemented by some power tailoring. “We’re really trying to figure out new ways of presenting clothes, creating new shapes and forming a new identity,” he said. Using padding, he exaggerated the shoulders on both a sweater dress and a single-breasted jacket by bringing them forward, and thickened the chest and back on cropped jackets in leather or upcycled puffer nylons. The effect is somewhat sexy. Unsurprisingly, these shapes aren’t easy to achieve. “They’re very labor intensive,” Lantink said “but I’m kind of a romantic thinker in that way. From my perspective, I don’t think that it’s something only conceptual.” Still, he has to think about commerciality, so on smaller pieces like sweater vests and button-downs he inserted a good inch or inch-and-a-half of foam between two layers of fabric, sometimes slicing them horizontally or diagonally to show off their unusual thickness. Damn, this year’s LVMH Prize season is really intense: Duran is in the game along with Elena Velez, Niccolo Pasqualetti, Vautrait, Marie Adam-Leenaerdt and other talents.