There has been a lot of talk about uniform dressing this season as part of the quiet luxury conversation. And New York designer Paul Helbers is offering his own, genderless take at Fforme, which had its debut runway show on Sunday.
Helbers previously designed menswear for Louis Vuitton and The Row, but his clothes at Fforme have their own kind of ease, with soft and rounded raglan blazers and coats, drapey T-shirts and tunic tops, culottes and relaxed pants that seem to glide rather than sit on the body, and are devised as a modular luxury wardrobe.
Instead of tailoring, Helbers shaped garments using pin tucks and darts, exploring the gentle interplay between control and release.
Black rib stitch knit tank dresses with bra detailing and woven back straps exuded a cool glamour, while layered tunics had hidden zippers to release volume. Other looks were composed of overlapping tiers and layers, creating a nomadic vibe rendered in the collection’s soothing shades of black, white, taupe, rose and deep amber.
Seamless metallic leather hoodies, minimalist shearling lined chukka boots, and flip-flop sandals added further building blocks to the growing Fforme lifestyle.
The show featured meditative music by Lesley Mok, a percussionist and interdisciplinary artist who plays the drums in a style called “classical minimalism.” That could well describe the collection, too.