The Pritzker Prize-winning Mexican architect Luis Barragán inspired Albert Kriemler s new Resort collection for Akris. Kriemler s de rigueur photo prints came from Barragán s famous Cuadra San Cristobal in Mexico City; the pink stucco walls are his stables, the flowering trees his bougainvillea. Currently listed at Christie s for $12.9 million, the estate s modernist yet lush style is a good fit for Kriemler, who has branded Akris with a sleek sort of über-luxe.
Beyond the vivid color palette—all fuchsia and azure blue—Kriemler s other big obsession this season was fabric development: a wool suit made with 10 percent polyester so it doesn t wrinkle; a double-face wool coat as fine as cashmere, but not as delicate ("which makes it sportier," he said); and a leather tunic cut so thin it moves like silk. Innovations like that keep the Akris customer coming back for more. The most compelling material he used was a black stretch denim, which looked positively elegant cut into an hourglass sheath with sheer tulle shoulders. Kriemler promised its below-the-knee length was a teaser of what s to come for Spring ’14.
