Dear Shaded viewers,
As Fashion Week begins, I had the chance to attend the Vautrait show, which took place at the Bastille Design Center. The show unfolded from bottom to top, the models emerged from the basement, then made their way up to the first floor before descending again.
The first silhouettes are inspired by English aristocratic hunting attire. The collection then moves toward more contemporary silhouettes, composed of leather jackets, and finally eveningwear. Most of the garments, borrowed from the menswear wardrobe, are reworked with a more modern touch. The collection draws primarily on heavy tailoring and protective outerwear pieces historically designed for endurance, restraint, and permanence. The looks are enveloping; long coats fall with controlled volume, and the shoulders are structured. The garments remain understated, function takes precedence over aesthetics.
This collection manages to evoke references that feel familiar while remaining deliberately indistinct. The tailoring suggests a heritage without pointing to a single archive; the materials recall local craftsmanship without revealing their origin. A kind of lost memory settles in, we try to recall a place that does not exist, a place felt rather than named. This sense of locality, embedded in each garment, is rooted in memory rather than territory. It conveys a nationalism without a nation, a sense of belonging shaped more by craftsmanship than by provenance.
Sincerely,
Alex.
