Design duo Christophe Lemaire and Sarah-Ling Tran decided to situate the philosophy of style at the heart of their musings for SS26. “Style is a critical and intuitive practice,” state the show notes which lined the seats of the duo’s showcase, held yesterday in Paris, the home of their semi-eponymous brand, Lemaire. As a foundation, this ethos was aligned with the core of the label’s DNA, which stitches understated, logo-free designs with a seasonless approach to emphasise the importance of being led by personal style, rather than trend.
In turn, the capacity these clothes had to metamorphosise was integral. Their ability to go from day to night and from work to play was all to remind the wearer that the power lies in the way they choose to style the pieces. For Lemaire, it’s the people who wear the clothes, not the other way around.
Immediacy was also an important theme this season, with floating lightweight dresses made of crepe fabrics in muted tones and airy slacks chucking up visions of Parisians on the go. The pieces were straightforward, but by no means boring. Blunt lines and understated but gritty embellishments like small silver studs and buttons felt like a push for the wearer to lead with attitude. Next summer, Lemaire and Tran want people to be storming the streets with the kind of confidence only a good outfit can bring.
Photography courtesy of Lemaire.
