Ami. Spring 2021 RTW - Paris

The airlines, from what l understand, are funding an instant COVID-19 test, which will show in matter of seconds whether you have the virus or not.  In a feverish (pun) attempt at getting their whole fleet up and running again and ease cross boarder restrictions, essentially offering covid-free air travel.  The era of widespread, in someways, forced testing will be upon us or whether visiting countries or simply going out.  Once the mass vaccinations begin middle next year, we may all have to show thereafter, that we have had the Covid-19 shot and the follow up boosters.  Might even be a requirement for the dating world.  All the while a US President, the great denier of the contagion, has now been infected with the virus, with feigned bravado and its delirium attached.  The only way to truly beat this virus is through vaccination.  Not luck, with its current hit and miss affair.

Still, as noted with Spring 2021 Fashion Weeks, it has to be said how premature some of the runway expectations have been on the viral all clear, seen with both Milan and Paris, some designers have gone in too hard, as Paris's 2nd wave infection rate is over 10k on its seven day average, with a lagging rate of death to follow, the word, irresponsible comes to mine.  More so for the models walking the runway without masks – an crowded backstage, I've seen some of the photos, also shows a lack of care, with the crowd all masked up and social distancing in place, via courtyards and beaches; sans Yohji Yamamoto's doomsday enclosure at the Hôtel de Ville.

It has been designers that have divided themselves between practicality and risk, which, was indicated at Milan Fashion Week, as I heard through the grapevine, the reason for the live shows was that some of the buyers preferred the runway shows, saying that it is how they would buy, as opposed to lookbooks.  Hence a handful of designers throwing caution to the wind with a maskless runaway exposure, in this time of a pandemic.  It's lovely world. 

Ami's Alexandra Mattisussi who originally shut down his brand name in 2002, resurfacing nine years later in 2011, has somewhat struggled defining a style, switching back from fine tailoring to its more avant-garde styles, it has been hard to pinpoint his direction as anymore or less Gvaslaia "Vetement's" fame being an influence throughout.  Mattisussi, for his Spring 2021 collection, hosted a live show at the edge of the Seine, it probably as close to a quarantine show that you could get, without Paris going into a second full blown lock down. With no crowd attending, sans the support crew and models. In its desire to return to normality of runway shows of yesterday. Mattisussi offered his dark overtures, that show a cleaner collection from past styles, as a mix bag of male and female styles. Yet, the collection falls short form really galvanizing an originality, which, in my opinion Mattisussi needs to evoke to further define his brand.