Maison Kitsuné and Olympia Le-Tan deliver another cool crossover this week in a brand new whimsical, preppy Fall/Winter 2022 collection.
Maison Kitsuné was founded in 2002 as a record label. Its founders are Masaya Kuroki, a Paris-based architect and Gildas Loac, the manager of French electronic music group Daft Punk. The pair didn’t start making clothes until 2005; when they debuted a modest male collection that featured polo shirts and trousers.
Collaborator Olympia Le-Tan initially came on the fashion scene when she was only 19. Her career began in Karl Lagerfeld’s Chanel workshop before going on to Balmain. This is where she collaborated closely with Gilles Dufour – before he developed his own label with Le-tan by his side.
In 2009, Le-Tan established her eponymous accessories label. By bringing together her two passions, needlework and literature, she started to produce one-of-a-kind purses and minaudières. The brand’s characteristic book-clutch was an instant hit – and it was purchased by luxury boutiques all over the world.
“This is my second collaboration with Maison Kitsune,”
Le-Tan tells Hello! Fashion “I am an old friend of the brand, well, its founders, Gildas and Masaya. We really enjoyed working on the first so we did a second!”
Lounging Around and Living it Up
This time, the designers joined up with contemporary New York cartoonist Aurel Shmidt to provide the artwork. “Aurel is a friend. We’ve known each other for over a decade and I’ve always loved her work which I have a small collection of.” Olympia explains. “I showed a new series of pastel drawings she was working on to Gildas and he loved them.
In this series she humoristically and provocatively draws herself with a group of friends that she has turned into rats, cockroaches and pigeons and we thought a fox would fit right into this group.”
The smorgasbord of individual pieces exudes vibrancy, playfulness, and happiness. Throughout the collection, a pastel palette of pinks and greens in cotton, silk and wool delivers a dose of nostalgia whilst maintaining a cool, contemporary tone.
Mini frocks with voluminous skirts with a covering of plants are brought to life with a transparent lattice cage across the chest. There are floral shirts with voluminous sleeves, and a selection of graphic tees to break up the sophistication a little.
MAISON KITSUNÉ describes the collection as:
AN INVITATION TO A SPECIAL HOUSE PARTY, DRESS CODE: FEISTY. FOR HER FOLLOW-UP COLLABORATION WITH MAISON KITSUNÉ, DESIGNER OLYMPIA LE-TAN HAS IMAGINED A COLLECTION AS SUITED TO LOUNGING AROUND AS LIVING IT UP. CHANNELING MOODS OF BOTH RESTLESSNESS AND RELEASE, THE COLLECTION COMPRISES CLOTHES THAT DELIVER MORE THAN WEARABILITY; THEY BECOME EXPRESSIONS OF A GOOD TIME.
To check out the full collection, go here.
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