Philipp Plein went all in on animalier print for his fall collectsion, presented in the shiny marble spaces of his brand headquarters in Milan. “Bling is coming back; it’s definitely time for that,” he said backstage. This season was defined by Plein as a “journey from daytime to evening” through garments characterized by a more mature and conscious style. This growing awareness was also emphasized by the simplicity in styling. “Everything flowed easily in a couple of hours,” he said.
The exploration of exotic leather-inspired prints started subtly with denim pants coated to resemble crocodile textures or the coat of a tiger. Then everything got louder, with cargo pants and catsuits in full leopard motifs that recurred in the contrasting lining of simpler pieces, like the total black outerwear. Animalier pieces were further represented through long frocks and minidresses fully decorated in sequins, perfectly matching the theatricality of the floor-length faux-fur coats. Crystal embroidery was present on casual items too, such as shearling jackets, male separates, and blazers, as well as logo’d T-shirts with a rock attitude.
The other strong theme was craftsmanship. The handmade rose decorations were a perfect example of this, like those seen on a denim minidress with matching jacket and the “flower dress,” as Plein called it, made of black satin roses of different sizes. This propensity for embellishment was also clear in some structured pieces like the biker shearling jacket with a 1980s-inspired inverted triangle shape, as well as the Chanel-ish suit covered in transparent sequins and adorned with jeweled buttons—a nod to Plein’s mother’s style.
