Today at the Lycée Henri IV where Emmanuel Macron once wandered the halls daydreaming of his theater teacher Brigette; where Jean-Paul Sartre felt his first pang of existential ennui; where Michel Foucault had his first big Foucault thought- in these corridors, we are handed day-glow yellow ear plugs by a girl in fishnets and stilettos who warns that the show is going to be loud. And loud, it was.
Inspired by mystical Asian deities, this season Sankuanz blends western shapes with traditional Asian wrapping and detail in an effort to explore tailoring as an amalgam between worlds. These looks embody the consummation of contrasting cultural aesthetics and the untamed depth of beauty within powers that influence them. As the collection unfolds, elegant silk draping punctuated by symbolic jewelry transitions into edgy oversized pieces accessorized with theatrical hardware. Sword sheath belts accompany their signature dagger boots that have been reinterpreted into heeled sneakers. Models painted bright red with gold body jewelry strut down the runway, demonic clawed gloves peek out from satin kimono sleeves,and bags are replaced by little red sculptures of writhing bodies. Quickly yet elegantly the atmosphere turns darker and effectively avant-garde. Through the marriage of these different influences and his clever use of motif and symbol, Sankuanz presents a collection that evokes the poignancy of its influences and remains fresh and contemporary in its execution.
xo,
Rianna Murray
