Études. Spring 2021 - Paris

                                (Images:  Études.  All credit)
   

It is commendable when a designer brand attempts to mature street wear with its variations of urban styles.  Often a difficult, depending on the label's astuteness, endeavor in projecting the said aesthetics.  However Études, the Parisian fashion collective of Jérémie Egry, Aurélien Arbet and José Lamali, have delivered a svelte take on an urbanized look.  In their refined artistic template, which does not lean too much towards a postmodern impression as noted from their previous showings, rather the designer trio have delivered a cleaner ne plus ultra for their innovative Spring 2021 lookbook.  In a post quarantine landscape, it is obvious that Europe and America opened to quickly from their 1st lockdown in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the aftereffects are being felt now, with new cases surging across greater Europe.  Winter beacons for the Northern Hemisphere.  The Études collective have, from their intial lockdown rumination and all of its uncertainty, have put together 28 lookbook images in a collage format courtesy of American photographer Roe Ethridge.

The very skilled layering and artistic direction of Ethridge has ensured that the Études new styles on offer correspond with the, as described by Egry, “hyper-real territories”. Borrowing from the late French philosopher Jean baudrillard's hyperreality theory of “Simulacrum and Simulation” (1981).  Where reality and information becomes unfixed from its original source, it therefor, after recopying itself countless times.  Begins to erode its origin, while disregarding the real, it therefor becomes the hyperreal.  Which is very cool when fashion brands, such as Études, play around with alternated states of what visual medium entails, particularly in a pre and post pandemic world.  The virus and constant news feeds has caused so much havoc to the human psyche. 

Recycled fabrics and deadstock materials have been used for the entire collection, which is admirable, particularly in how the trio of Études have detailed their Spring 2021 collection, without the traditional runway, rather they had the male models walk, as a video presentation, some of the backstreets of Paris. In keeping it in line with the rawer urban feel, however the collection, as mentioned, is styled and tailored with its refined hyperreal American looks. Pattered shirts, recut trench coats and suiting styles, with avant-garde touches throughout.

While the September 2020 fashion shows are all primed to be activated.  How this will transpire into a spectacle it once was is still an open question. Yet the desire to tentatively mark September in as the all clear, could become a misaligned call. However, a vaccine may be delivered by the end of the year, with President Trump speeding up the research in lieu of Americans to be vaccinated prior to the November 3rd elections.  The mad rush is on again to plug back in the old normal, which may end up falling into a chaotic mess once again.

With the creatives such as Études, trying to make sense of it all.