You could lose your mind trying to tally the functional versus fantastical clothing presented and marketed for the fall 2021 season. The young Parisian designer Victor Weinsanto gladly offers both. As a part of the Dover Street Market Paris umbrella—other young talents supported include Vaquera, Eli Russell Linnetz, and Youths in Balaclava—Weinsanto is supported in both his frivolous and realistic endeavors.
The former category is what will catch editors’ eyes. Inspired by 19th-century courtesans and the theatricality of his former employer, Jean Paul Gaultier, Weinsanto cut crystal-dripped dresses and corseted zip-ups, many topped off with truly over-the-top headwear. One friend helped with the corsets, another with the headpieces, and a friend’s mom numbers among the models for this collection, emphasizing that behind the scenes of this wild enterprise is a lot of heart. Weinsanto’s silhouettes, while as cinched as they come, are cut in stretch velvets to allow for optimum dancing—whenever that returns.
Until then, Weisanto and DSM have teamed up on day-to-day interpretations of his world. Here, there are jeans laced with feathers, off-the-shoulder sweatshirts in cancan colors, and asymmetric zip hoodies that—if you dare—could double as minidresses. He’s also created a line of boldly geometric handbags and curved jeans that are suited for both the now and the later.
