Paris when it sizzles—as it has this week—finds true locals gaming out how fast they can leave these sweltering streets to the tourists and split for the shore. Count Pierre Mahéo first among them. Though Parisian to the core, his roots are Breton and he’s also partial to the more remote corners of Ibiza. Which is why, for spring, the designer said he started by indulging in a moment of fantasy.
“I asked myself what it would be like if this fabulous city were closer to the seaside, and what influence that might have on how we dress and our process,” the designer said moments before the tiny Rue Jules Chaplain, home to the OG HQ, was transformed into a runway. Mahéo hit on “Parisviera” as a portmanteau, but this kind of coastal Parisian style skews more Brittany than the showy scene down on the Mediterranean. It’s defined by pajama-inflected tailoring, with scrunched sleeves and nonchalantly rolled cuffs, but most of all, per usual with Mahéo, a deep dive into ultra-light materials, like a poplin so lightweight the studio refers to it as “parachute,” seersucker, and, for men’s and women’s suiting, a breezy cotton-linen Tencel.
In his show notes, Mahéo noted that he wanted to evoke “bodies draped in air.” He pulled that off smartly—and, best of all, did it without stooping to anything see-through. In addition to the inevitable marinière—what French wardrobe would be complete without it?—shirts were cut long enough to double as dresses, popovers had universal appeal, and swingy belts were fashioned from raw fabric knotted and fringed like a lanyard.
Officine Générale’s entire raison d’être is a certain concept of essential dressing. Here, gently deconstructed pieces in sophisticated neutrals like cream, navy, black, and rich tobacco brown mingled with statement-makers like pared-down cargos, easy workwear-inspired jackets, and—for cooler evenings—leather staples like a bomber, a black top and shorts ensemble, and few highly covetable jackets in suede. OG loyalists are going to have to just wait it out until next year to get their hands on those. But for anyone still polishing their summer look, those easy leather flats are available online as of today.
