Jeanne Friot RTW Spring 2024
“The Little Mermaid” may be having a moment thanks to Disney’s live-action remake, but Parisian designer Jeanne Friot’s take on the fairy tale is inspired by a darker version of the classic.
Based on recent reinterpretations of Hans Christian Andersen’s story, which postulate that it was a metaphor for the author’s unrequited love for his patron’s son, Friot chose to explore a watery world in a multitude of different shades of blue.
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The symbolism of Ariel’s having to abandon her tail to become human was a strong message that Friot, a champion of genderless fashion and LGBTQ rights through her work, sought to amplify.
That the wave of anti-transgender legislation in the U.S. seemed to be rapidly gaining ground while she put together the collection only made its message more important, the designer said backstage before her presentation.
In guise of a fish’s scales, denim was Friot’s predominant fabric of choice in the collection — logical given that she has carved a name for herself with quirky repurposing of Levi’s jeans.
Denim came in the form of a super-simple statement skirt in stretch fabric with clever pleating announcing the birth of the tail for the opening look; boxy pale pieces with a subtle sheen thanks to stripes of translucent sequins, and pleated kilt-like numbers with a punkish stomp to them, paired with slogan T-shirts. “The earth speaks to all of us,” one read.
If denim was the husk of the lineup, barely there chiffon was its backbone. It formed the sheath dresses and cap-sleeved tops that underpinned Friot’s collection, at times punctuated by sequin waves or body piercing details.
Alongside scallop-shell dresses that jingled on chains and her signature belt dresses — most famously sported by Madonna — Friot clearly demonstrated why she has become a poster child for the genderless fashion movement, questioning habitual tropes, offering up a wardrobe that has an ever-growing public, and doing so with style and skill.
Launch Gallery: Jeanne Friot Men's Spring 2024
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