Ploier Pleasures in Paris

January 19, 2008
It’s true, I raved fanatically and, must admit, waxed lyrical about Burberry but it seems Paris held much more wonder up its sleek sleeve. Namely, Ute Ploier’s FW 0809 inexpressibly swoon- and drool-worthy collection.
I recall a certain reluctance to open the thread on TFS when I spotted the name, unfamiliar with her work and mistaking the label for another that I’m not so keen on I almost disregarded it entirely. You might have guessed by now that having opened the thread I’m unapologetically deliriously happy, as – cheesey as it sounds – it was in a way, an enriching and uplifting experience, a reminder that menswear is far from a lost cause and by no measure doomed to the depths of gender-bending hell. I can now rest assured we males reside in good hands.

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The intricacies of anatomy and bodily functions brought so beauteously to life by Marios Schwab some time ago has made yet another appearance. Ploier contorted a mass of synthetically bright white fabric into a sizable rib-cage that – I can only assume – serves as a throw. Being partial to a spot of human biology now and then I lapped it up.

I do have an unabashed affection for impactive outerwear, this disposition was never as apparent as when I came across these truly wondrously heavy trenches. They were – in some respects – akin to epileptic fits or unexpectedly attractive deformities, abounding with folds and manipulations enhanced the visual feast.

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Speaking of, just check the foreground feature in the trio of delicacies below.

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The palette was predominantly a steadfast combination of blackest black and aforementioned white but there came a well-received injection of vibrancy in the form of some sci-fi lemon trousers and a similarly spacy vivid blue long-sleeve tee.

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Was kann ich sagen? Es war einfach wunderbar.

Images by Thomas Lillo via TFS

  • Lynn & Horst January 19, 2008 at 9:50 pm

    einfach wunderbar

  • susie_bubble January 19, 2008 at 10:28 pm

    Very different from her previous stuff…. quite Marjan Pejoski esque in some instances… but I likes!

  • MR style January 19, 2008 at 11:55 pm

    wow the leather trench on the second pic is marvellous !!! the work around the neck is fabulous by the way

  • porcelain skull January 20, 2008 at 2:51 pm

    hey, thank you, i wish i could say something cool about fashion, by its kinda beyond me, haha, thanks for the linkalex,x

  • Suzanna Mars January 20, 2008 at 6:01 pm

    This appears to be a very forward (not in the sense of the banal “fashion-forward,” but anticipatory) collection that isn’t just anatomical but climatic. There are hints of a modern Ice Age on the horizon and also a very interesting subtext of alienation and mechanization.It’s cold, but it’s very, very hot.

  • giancinephile January 20, 2008 at 10:08 pm

    Ploier’s collection cater more to the artsy side of fashion. Her previous collections entail extremely wearable stuff. But the shift still amuses me. The Austrian designer is a gift to menswear!!!!

  • giancinephile January 20, 2008 at 10:10 pm

    Is it okay if I link your site?? haha I’m very amused by it 🙂

  • Dustcakeboy January 21, 2008 at 7:21 am

    That’d be great. Thanks muchly.DCB.

  • Diana @ So Fash'on January 21, 2008 at 2:35 pm

    love it!

  • Stylesalvage Steve January 21, 2008 at 7:38 pm

    I have to agree that this was a wonderful show. It was one of the highlights without question. It will feature in my top ten pieces from Paris and Milan…when i finally get round to compiling it!

  • Thomas January 23, 2008 at 3:31 am

    The short coat in the second pic looks excellent, but the rest make me feel like I’m looking at rejected costumes for Bladerunner.