The balance of opposites at the core of Lucie and Luke Meier’s work finds here new forms and silhouettes. Smart men turn, and wear, their emotions inside-out. Unafraid of being, and showing to be, manifold. The photographic portraits of women artists and designers of the Bauhaus that Florence Henri shot in the 1920s, abstract, modern and sensitive at the same time, have been enlarged and printed on canvas and sewn onto tailored jackets and coats, and knitwear. Silver necklaces with the hand-written word “Mother” declare the importance of kinship - now more than ever. The high necks of coats are fastened by jewel buttons, or a shell. A large silver plastron made of simple geometric forms, an ancestral armour, worn over soft jumpers synthesise the reciprocity of strength and vulnerability that Lucie and Luke Meier consistently suggest. Being a couple is not fortuitous in this process.
The uniform-inspired coats and trenches, in Tuscan double-faced wool or in coated, waterproof cotton, are either graphic and fitted, with invisible buttons and no lapels, or find a striking new balance with exaggerated collars and pocket flaps. A double-breasted coat, in enlarged plaid hazy wool, stands simultaneously for noncompliance and home.
Soft, experimental, hand-made, and extremely refined, knitwear is a key element of the collection. Sharp graphic coloring contrasts rich knit structures. Contrast-tone intarsia gives depth to warm cashmere sweaters. Connections are delicate, detailed, textured, tactile.
Bags in flat, sharp belted forms lend geometry and shine, and are integrated as part of the silhouette. Plump soft nappa forms add a domestic pillowy comfort. Squared tote bags in natural leathers offer functional yet luxurious grounding.
Images Courtesy of Jil Sander/ Words Jil Sander Fall/ Winter 2021 press release
Collages by Christine Kalvik
