The initial visual feast at Paul & Joe’s palatial Parisian presentation, during Paris Fashion Week, was not the garments on show but a Marie Antoinette-style, candle-lit banquet which populated the trestle table dividing the room.
“I wanted to make this Table of Abundance,” said the brand’s founder and designer Sophie Mechaly, gesturing towards the mushroom cakes, macaron towers, and overflowing, china jugs of redcurrants. “It’s very luxurious, it’s very full. Back in the 16th century, it was all about great, great, great banquets.”
For the Ancien Régime references in tablescaping, models who mingled with guests were instead informed by commedia dell’arte, the Italian form of improvised theatre known for masquerade and famed stock characters, popular between the 16th and 18th centuries. One such role was Columbina. “Columbina was the first woman in Italy to be able to be on stage, because it was only allowed for men. She was very powerful, very independent, very sophisticated, totally crazy,” Mechaly says, summoning one model dressed in a five-tiered, white cotton muslin frock replete with black pom poms, rosy cheeks, and a black, under-chin-tied sailor’s hat.
Similarly, on-the-nose references populated the collection; playing card prints, with distorted cats, swans, or butterflies, were splashed on shift mini dresses; jester-esque shorts came paired with powder blue quilted pom-pom jackets; Harlequin diamonds were plastered on Mary Janes; moons and stars were painted on cheeks.
In places, this might have verged on costume, but a saviour came in more considered details; French-sourced Chantilly lace trims made for lovely nighty-style dresses, while rich, floral-appliqué sequin flowers elevated miniskirts. “I think it’s so important that the clothes look good, but the way you choose the fabric is important, too. Sometimes, in fashion, you can have cool looks but the fabric is stiff,” Mechaly says.
The designer doubled down on another of her preoccupations in production — keeping business in the country. “Everything is made in France, in my atelier. And the production is made in France as well. It’s very rare now to find ‘made in France’.”
Ultimately, though, Mechaly’s goal is to make items women want. Simple tailoring and smart two-pieces, printed blouses and flared slacks certainly held appeal on this front. “There are so many weddings and so many parties and garden parties again, thank God!,” she quipped. “I really am very picky about selecting everything in the outfits — I just want people to wear my clothes.”
