On the moodboard for their spring collection, Ester Manas and Balthazar Delepierre pinned up a smattering of images by Helmut Newton, an “Ozempic Games” message tee, and a telling phrase: “Should I over-explain myself or remain misunderstood?” At the last minute, they titled the collection “The Elephant in the Room” and stuck one on the runway, too.
Given that these days there is more than one elephant in any room at any time, hewing to a baseline of diversity and body positivity, mixed with the ultimate scandal—sex—yielded enough fodder. For inspiration, the duo pored over outraged critiques of Yves Saint Laurent’s 1971 Libération show and turned to Dr. Ruth for the soundtrack.
“We’re always thinking about what to hide and what to show,” Manas offered, noting that society still considers a French size 38 (roughly an American size 8) “curvy.” Which is why she has lately taken to modeling her own brand on social media. “It’s a very trendy and sensitive topic, but that’s our elephant,” she said. “We didn’t necessarily want to talk about it; we just wanted to make clothes for everyone.”
With support from the beloved French lingerie brand Chantelle, the designers sent out pretty little nothings in black lace and “naked” numbers in fine mesh designed to be layered over a new offering of basics, for example a top and leggings in coordinating leopard print. Skirts, tops and dresses busy with ruching and ruffles were likewise made for layering up by two or threes for full coverage. More elaborate pieces, like a lilac dress with 350 gathered bands applied by hand, are available by order only. Ditto the canary yellow frilled and gathered dress in look 12.
Noting how their community wears teeny-tiny froncé minis like an accessory over jeans by day, the two expanded that technique to handbags. And they took a deep dive into texture, notably on printed, embossed, and bonded leather jackets that rendered the creases of the linings beneath.
Summing up their process, Manas said, “It’s about a woman who’s messy-sexy, who doesn’t care about what everyone else is doing and goes out as she is.” A few coats summoned that femme fatale as well as any of the super-sheer numbers. It would be nice to see the designers take that power of suggestion and push it a little further.
