Nicholas Kirkwood made his return to the runway at Paris Fashion Week today when he unveiled a footwear collaboration with hot new ready-to-wear talent Marine Serre.
The two designers had an instant connection. Serre won the coveted 2017 LVMH Prize for Young Designers last June. (Rihanna was on hand to present the honor.) London-based Kirkwood has been owned by LVMH since 2013.
“This was the first time I’ve done show shoes in several seasons,” Kirkwood told FN this evening in London, after returning from the show in Paris. His colorful silk moiré boots were a standout on Serre’s runway.
Serre — who worked with Demna Gvasalia at Balenciaga before deciding to focus on her own label — has been making big moves in the past several months. She used the 300,000-euro prize from LVMH to build her team. “When we won, there was just me, my sister [Justine Serre] and my boyfriend [Pepijn van Eeden]. Now, we’re around 10 people,” said the designer.
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The 25-year-old — who is garnering huge buzz among fashion insiders — called her collection “Manic Soul Machine,” and used the clothes to reflect on this point in the fashion cycle. “I think it means what I have lived these last six months and what probably fashion is today. So that’s it: Manic Soul Machine. We are all machines, right? I hope I keep my soul,” she said backstage. The young designer tagged many of her outerwear looks “FutureWear”— a sign that she wants to challenge traditional fashion notions.
In addition, Serre’s signature crescent moon motif was incorporated on hosiery styles and boots in the show.
—With contributions from Katya Foreman and Joelle Diderich
