July 14, 2023 |
Sportmax entered into an interplay of opposites for its Resort 2024 collection, introducing bourgeois charm to its rebellious side. Long midi or wrap skirts were worn on top of trousers and louche shirts were paired with austere leather skirts. The brand’s signature razor-sharp tailoring was tinged with glamorous minimalism while passels of clashing traits – matte or glossy textures, dense or gauzy fabrics, soft florals or rugged leather – unfurled as “a cadence of contrasts” according to the show notes.
The brand looked to The Who’s 1973 Quadrophenia album for inspiration, particularly the ways in which it defined the aesthetic of the Mod movement 50 years ago. That same structured tailoring was reiterated here, so jackets and suits were sewn like sculptures. David Bowie’s break-out androgynous glamour at his 1973 debut Ziggy Stardust concert was also referenced, coming back to life in the metallic mesh of silky dresses and shimmering silver ’70s platform boots.
Off the back of the maison’s winter 2023 collection which was titled Bare and explored the concept of clothes as a second skin, this collection shifted away from the human, offering a fresh flesh iteration – python. Python-print organza turtlenecks and tight tops were lusciously layered, but the reptilian dermis manifested most vividly in a gauzy snakeskin dress that gave the impression that the model was moutling.
The collection was completed by an arsenal of accessories that transfered those python-prints onto western mules, pointy stiletto, kitten heel pumps and a sky-high glam-rock ankle boot that peek out from under pooling pants. A pair of gold-rimmed future-tech sunglasses added a touch of cyber expression and the iconic Caju bag, as curvaceous and sophisticated as always, was rendered in red, black leather, or another hypnotic python print.
Photography courtesy of Sportmax.
