Courrèges. Fall 2020 Ready-to-Wear - Paris

Images from the designer and the public domain. Credited to the photographer/company where applicable: Courrèges' )

Creative director Yolanda Zobel for Courrèges has left the famed 1960s brand after just four seasons as their lead designer, which is somewhat understandable, as she faltered more times than not, at her attempts in setting forth a renewed take on the late André Courrèges's modernist 60's iconic space-age or more so nuclear age styles.  With her chopped up post-modern arrays. If you are unaware of Courrèges as a company, here is a brief (and simplistic) snapshot of the brand within its historic time line. Courrèges was devised in its stylization to free up 1950s conservative looks, although not portrayed as direct counter culture aesthetic. It was intended, at the time, with its risqué styles ala  André Courrèges invention of the miniskirt, cropped vinyl jackets and go-go boots, to be worn gleefully to cocktail parties in discussing the moon landing, husband's achievements at the advertising firm and the latest modernist house and furniture designs.  

Zobel's imprint in trying to reconfigue Courrèges was shaky from start, her debut showing for the brand's Spring 2019 Ready-to-Wear was more on the side of misses than hits.  Drawing on some garish and immature concepts of 1990s night club dance styles, in which she ended up removing a significant selection of the styles from buyers catalogs post to her Fall 2019 showing.  What probably was the nail in the coffin, was the lookbook styles for Courrèges Resort 2020 showing, it was just to backlash for the sake of appealing to digital activism, sans increased profits which she would have been expected to source for the brand name. 

Such is the fashion industry.  But, one thing that Zobel did achieve with an admiration, whilst her time at Courrèges is setting in place was the Eco-friendly materials, more so the removal of the stalwart vinyl from the Courrèges cutting rooms and implementing biodegradable alternatives instead of all the plastics used in the process of designer fashion.  For the Fall 2020 Ready-to-Wear collection, the Courrèges Design team, without a creative director have frantically worked to bring the brand back to its heyday styles, with its latest lookbook spanning only 14 pieces.  The Courrèges brand under the auspiciousness of Artémis, the holding company for billionaire François Pinault’s will be missing Fashion Fashion Week in March, focusing on finding a replacement for Zobel. 

The overall collection feels slightly rushed,  with the Courrèges miniskirts coming back in earnest, as has the go-go and knee high boots.  Portraying the brand's sleek and defined 1960 dress styles, realigned for Courrèges returning to its roots.  All the while maintaining the cue of modernist styles, whilst the reset button that been hit.