What a Fashion Week! Playfulness seems to be leading the trend this season — yet last week held an unexpected twist: the debut collection of Jacques Cartier, created by none other than Willy Cartier.
Willy Cartier, a multidisciplinary artist, began his career as a model — a background that has taught him how to elevate and enhance the silhouette. For his first show, The Beginning, he unveiled a series of striking black looks. Black, his signature color, is perhaps the one that defines him most. Some say black absorbs light, others that it reflects it — an intriguing ambivalence that leaves a lasting impression.
This sense of fantasy is revealed in the tailoring. Willy imagined a few gender-fluid silhouettes designed for various occasions. One standout piece, a spotted wide corset, could transform anyone — man or woman — into a dominatrix. The silhouettes are layered, draped, and richly constructed. But what truly defines the collection are the subtly irregular side finishes — small, deliberate imperfections that serve as clues to Willy’s personality, and perhaps even a prelude to what’s coming next. Let’s also note the tailoring by Nicolas Theil, whose design and bags amplify the brand’s enigmatic edge.
Willy didn’t stop at clothing. He also designed a mirror and a sofa — sharp, metallic, organic. Their contrasting forms complement each other in a delicate balance, crafted in wood and steel over six months. It’s a testament to Willy’s intriguing creative vision. Drawing from a ’90s grunge spirit, he addresses the postmodern dilemmas facing today’s creators: should we design sleek, futuristic objects for our seamless world — or can we still dare to be expressionist, baroque, even burlesque ?
Willy chooses both, embracing contradiction with bold determination. This intense creative energy is also visible in his paintings. He practices photography as well — some of his images are even printed on the backs of T-shirts in the collection. They are eerie and mineral, an unsual aesthetic in our times. With that global vision, he enlighted collaborators with the same vive such as Rami Mekdachi who performed live an ominious yet hypnotic set and the sensual perfumed candles
Let’s hope his future work will become even more dramatic, daring, and exploring. In the end, Willy embodies greatness and accessibility. Jacques Cartier is an hommage to the explorer, and also his middle name.
Later
Mael Heinz
