With a collection titled Sanctuary, Christian Wijnants continued in the meditative vein that defined his return to the runway last season. Backstage, the designer showed some of the pillow clutches he had developed, noting that he wanted to create things that “cradle the body” and make the subtle shift from armor to refuge.
“In crazy times, I think we need clothes that empower and reassure. What you wear has so much power on your mood, and in general, I love things that are comforting and easy,” he said, holding out a down-filled clutch that could well double as a harried traveler’s emotional-support bag.
On the runway came a parade of soft clothes for hard times: clothing-as-chrysalid dressing constructed to be as cozy as a blanket, with integrated scarves on tops, dresses, and capes. A pillowy down puffer in dusty rose was accessorized with puffer slippers to match that clutch.
A print guy and a colorist at heart, Wijnants this season went mainly for subtler, more monochrome looks in rich, earthy hues of seafoam, khaki, cream, charcoal, anthracite, raspberry, and chocolate. Options for body-con minimalists included hourglass midis in felted pinstripes or a water-blot print, and a column dress with an abstract Milky Way motif.
Fall is all about tactility and texture, and the designer obliged by going shaggy with a gray mohair overcoat and cape top, a dusty rose dress swinging with fringe, and thick knits. There were certainly enough graceful pieces to let fans glide through an uncertain season, and perhaps even catch the attention of die-hard minimalists who would never go for a hot color or print. What’s wanting, and on that point Wijnants is in very good company, is a sense of joy. Until such time, we’ll take serenity wherever we can get it.
