
Beautiful Liene Podina fixing her pussy-bow, minutes after Christian Wijnants‘ autumn-winter 2017 show in Paris.

Beautiful Liene Podina fixing her pussy-bow, minutes after Christian Wijnants‘ autumn-winter 2017 show in Paris.

In his autumn-winter 2017 fashion show, Christian Wijnants celebrated the idea of a world with no borders. Not being too referential about the orient, he and his in-house studio developed one-of-a-kind prints which had a lot to do with traditional paisley and Persian rugs patterns. A brilliant remix of oriental rhythms and booming beats were another clue of the designer’s inspiration. However, the styling of those flowing maxi-dresses and skirts was purely European. In bold colours of orange, green and purple, the Belgian designer focused on the technical side of his clothes: the pleats were made of polyamide to keep the silhouette, while the sweaters were of highest quality Alpaca and other yarns to satisfy a Wijnants client for years. At the Le Marais showroom, to see and touch the clothes, I’ve spotted that the python boots in yellow were the star among the buyers. No wonder why.
Backstage / showroom photos by Edward Kanarecki.
Usually, when I discover a designer which I haven’t known earlier, I’m living a one-day obsession with him or her. But with Christian Wijnants, I have a mania which will surely last for longer. With a soft point for Belgian fashion, no wonder why I’ve fallen in love with Wijnants’ unique, lady-like vision. Christian graduated from prestige Royal Academy of Fine Arts (‘Antwerp Six’ rings a bell?), and found his eponymous label back in 2003. As most of Belgian designers, he presents his collections to editors and buyers in Paris, and just a year ago, he opened his first flagship store in Antwerp – the city where his studio is based in. For autumn / winter 2016, Wijnants’ look-book oozes with urban femininity, peculiar colour combinations and bold patterns. A contemporary, style-conscious woman will go for one of those coats, questioning which colour is better – tangerine orange or pastel turquoise. Both look ground-breaking, so the choice isn’t easy. Knitted, olive-green turtlenecks are styled with striped baby-pink skirts, while the fluffy, fur cushion-clutches are this season’s candies out of all other accesories. The puffa jacket (of course in stripes!) is a burning desire, too. Is it a wardrobe of a modern-day dame? She’s an eccentric character, who loves to wear a pair of synthetic-white gloves to brunch!