Nicolas Di Felice presents first collection for Courrèges

Courrèges’ space-age futurism, with super-short skirts and famous go-go boots, was given a fresh new feel for autumn/winter 2021 with Nicolas Di Felice’s debut collection for the French fashion house, which celebrates its 60th anniversary this year.

Describes as a “vibrant letter to modern-day youth which can no longer dance,” by Belgian designer Di Felice in the label’s show notes. This is a collection that as well as being an ode to youth, is also a tribute to a young André Courrèges and the beginning “when his vocabulary began to take shape”.

The digital catwalk show took place at La Station – Gare des Mines in Aubervilliers on the outskirts of Paris, a popular party and dance spot, where a white cube shines out from the industrial surroundings.

The white backdrop acted as a stark contrast to the short hemlines, extreme cut-out detailing, geometric shapes, and voluminous, clean and rounded cuts, seen in a colour palette of red, white, beige, blue and black.

The Courrèges silhouette makes a statement, as does the use of vinyl, the iconic Courrèges fabric, alongside sleeker, more formal lines. Like a seventies trucker ensemble, trompe-l’œil knits recreated in pleated jersey, and ‘circle and square’ jumpsuits and dresses in wool crepe, assembled using geometric shapes.

Courrèges showcases debut collection from new artistic director Nicolas Di Felice

Artistic director Di Felice, who spent most of his career working alongside Nicolas Ghesquière, has brought a modern edge to Courrèges’ iconic minimal vision by creating a dialogue between the house’s heritage and workwear with clubwear archetypes such as trucker jackets, bomber jackets, five-pocket trousers, and T-shirts.

‘I can feel your heartbeat’ is a collection that honours the fashion house, taking inspiration from the archive, while giving it a youthful and new modern fashionable look to target a younger customer, who will also be swayed by the lower price point.

Such as with the cut-out theme, first introduced by the French label in 1969, it has been incorporated into this club spirit on dresses like before, but also on tops, trousers and jackets.

While other borrowed looks include the 1963 check pattern coat, Di Felice keeps the rounded cut but has switched up the material, the fabric is now sheer and lightweight, bonded to a jersey fabric. The A-line dresses with rounded seams and pockets also don’t just appear in Courrèges go-to vinyl, but as collage-style stretch jersey tops with wool crepe skirts, making them more wearable.

Di Felice, added: “‘I can feel your heartbeat’ is an ode to the house’s values of optimism and a message of courage to young generations.”

Images: courtesy of Courrèges