BDMOTP never covered Officine Générale before and it was a summary pleasure to attend the runway show at the Palais des Beaux Arts in Paris where the latest SS17 collection was on full display. We noted well the traditional French easy-going but classy cut of most of the wear, the pastel colors for summer, the light wear and dress, very décontracté (casual), yet sporty and handsome, aye perhaps even pretty.

Yet Pierre Mahéo, the designer, writes in the press release that normally he gets a lot of inspiration from the beauty of the French summers, and from the typical light-heartedness on the streets of Paris, and from the sunny quartiers of the Rive Gauche, but that this time around he had problems finding his inspiration because of the different events that the city had been through lately – understandable of course –, but we like to say that we think that the Officine Générale collection continues to maintain well the spirit of the lightness and the beauty of Paris, and that summer has arrived in Paris – late perhaps – but has arrived indeed as we witnessed that typical care free spirit of the French of yore return, return slowly, and step by step on all the runways of men’s fashion week – and especially in this beautiful collection by Officine Générale. No worries then, as summer has finally begun.

And because we could not say it better ourselves, here are the words of the designer himself to present this collection:

“ .. a thin indigo seersucker, a beautiful and crunchy pope-line, a spectacularly soft garment-dye cotton, a few velvets from Venice for the feet, a nicely knotted sandal, a handful of short sleeves, a washed Italian linen, and Japanese jerseys!”

One small apostrophe we would like to add perhaps is the typical soigné look of the models in their hair-do and coiff, because it is one of these characteristics that makes this show so super French and so recognizable. For these are still those same hair-dos that an old yet famous French boy-band (17 boys all-together) called Les Poppys (and not to be confused with the American boy-band the Poppies), used to spot back in 1971 when they famously sang:

“Non, non, rien n’a changé. Tout, tout a continué.

(nothing has changed, all has continued)

No Sir, the French style and light-heartedness has not changed. It is still there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted by Sandro and photos from Officine Générale press office.