Winnie Men’s Fall 2022

For Winnie’s first outing on the men’s week calendar, designer Idris Balogun decided to forgo the runway in favor of a presentation to showcase the apparel as objects and do away with the human form.

Balogun, who cut his tailoring teeth on Savile Row, alongside Tom Ford and at Burberry under Christopher Bailey, took the fashion crowd down to Paris’ out-of-the-way 13th arrondissement for what was an almost interactive exhibit. Rubberized wool trenchcoats were hanging haphazardly on raw wood sculptures that Balogun described as scarecrows. Classic tweed jackets and cashmere turtlenecks were suspended from the ceiling while selvedge denim suits were draped on cardboard cutouts. All were meant to be played with, moved and caressed.

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“I want people to feel and touch things, because we haven’t been able to even see each other physically for so many years now, which is crazy to say,” he said. He wants people to focus on the clothes and the textiles — most sourced from deadstock or upcycled — instead of a look or a trend. “It’s a bit taking the person out of it and appreciating the value of things.”

The collection was inspired by South African artist Dumile Feni, who left the country under apartheid for self-imposed exile in 1968, never returning to his home country. The idea of alienation resonated with Balogun, both because of the current circumstances and his own story as a native Londoner now living and working in the U.S. and Italy. The most overt ode to Feni was seen in leather caps Balogun created to evoke the era.

Balogun also worked with artist Sylvie Auvray, whose paintings served as a backdrop at the gallery, luminescent bubbles in one room and a looming faceless portrait in another.

In person pieces stood out: a pair of chaps rendered in soft wool flannel with pockets were an inspired reinterpretation of the traditional Western style, while Balogun’s tailoring training showed in the sharp trenches and jackets that were layered together to create volume.

Launch Gallery: Winnie Men's Fall 2022

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