Y/Project does Y-fronts by Lily Templeton

There may have been renewed focus on Glenn Martens following his short-listing at the 2016 LVMH Prize but it was definitely business as usual at Y/Project as he presented a spring 17 collection that played on his usual tropes of gender neutrality and unconventional sensuality. Looks came hard and fast, just like the rain outside the riverboat.  

 

The Freaks (of Doug E. Fresh fame) were letting their flag fly, and that was a good thing. Like other brands using Paris as a platform for self-exploration, Y/Project was all about slightly louche, definitely off-kilter sensuality cut in space-occupying sizes. Think a gender-bending Raoul Duke and Dr. Gonzo, let loose on 2017, complete with a whole new generation of Y-front trousers, or to be precise, triangular cutouts under the belt line, leaving boxers (or flesh) loose.

 

Overdyed denim (through spray painting), extra-long limbs that pooled at the ankle or fell way past the fingertips, cuffs so wide they could have had their own post-code, all served to impart a tropical mood, as did the flora sandwiched between two layers of tulle that peeked under jackets or flashed ample amounts of terribly toned tummies. One Letterman-lookalike was done up with braiding and thick knitwear peaked from openings. His eye for detailing and construction is stellar as evidenced by a bomber constructed of nylon strips or in a jacket that closed on the front and back. The designer spliced and sliced to great effect, revealing not only imagination in fabrics but also the qualities that made his nomination a shoe-in.