Paloma Wool’s Spring-Summer collection turns the garment inside out A true stripping down

Presented at the Maison de la Chimie, Paloma Wool’s new Spring/Summer collection turns body and garment into the stage for a methodical and poetic deconstruction. Playing with horizontality, layering, and transparency, the Catalan designer strips down the very structure of clothes to reveal a free, subtly offbeat, and resolutely effortless look.

Horizontality and deconstruction as the starting point

The starting point of this collection lies in a careful exploration of two foundational fabrics: jacquard and silk. Working around these textiles, the brand engages in a true reflection on repetition and stratification, building silhouettes along a strictly horizontal axis. Right from the show’s opening, an oversized striped dress sets the tone, laying the groundwork for a visual exploration centered on width and structure. While these stripes remain relatively subtle in their literal form throughout the rest of the show - appearing only occasionally on a t-shirt or men’s trousers - the concept of the horizontal line infuses every cut and proportion.

Throughout the runway presentation, assembly is expressed through an inventive layering of garments that divides the body into distinct strata. Tops alternate between extreme crop and maxi lengths, while skirts and dresses openly expose their linings. A fabric harness overlays a sheer top before being reimagined further along as a standalone bra. As the silhouettes progress down the catwalk, transparency takes center stage, uncovering successive layers of clothing while hinting at bare skin. To emphasize this play on stacking, patterns clash and coexist: floral prints enter into a direct dialogue with the raw texture of jacquard.

When the inside of the garment takes center stage

Gradually, linings cease to function as mere technical concealers and become full-fledged design elements. Transparency no longer serves solely to reveal the body; it lays bare the very mechanics of garment construction. In an almost anatomical approach, the designer reduces certain skirts to their bare essentials - retaining only the bottom ruffles, suspended from the waist by whisper-thin strips of fabric. Paloma explained that she enjoyed manipulating these internal structures so much that exposing them became an obvious choice, using transparency to highlight the hidden framework of each piece.

Initially demure, the collection gradually reveals a subtle sensuality, exposing hints of the bust, midriff, or lower back. A sense of hybridity takes root, embodied by skirts featuring sheer paneling across the thighs that maintain their original volume while appearing to be the sum of several intertwined garments. Even the menswear silhouettes are caught up in this unraveling of fabric, albeit more subtly - seen in a tunic layered over a semi-sheer top, or a white tank top worn over a button-up shirt and a burgundy t-shirt.

The art of the faux pas and the effortless mindset

This conceptual rigor is balanced by a touch of humor and irony, playing with styling mishaps. A bra unexpectedly peeks out from beneath a cropped sheer top, only to disappear a few looks later, making way for a tiny gray top that reveals the subtle curve of the bust. On a beige leather ruffled skirt, the lining intentionally protrudes, as if the garment had been assembled inside out or thrown on in a rush.

Craftsmanship remains central thanks to exceptional knitwear developed by French designer Céline Breton, who created embellished, sheer tops - some featuring shoulder pads - that will be available for pre-order. Finally, the collaboration with singer Brat Star brings a distinct energy to the collection. Walking the runway in a formal ensemble featuring tailored trousers, a button-down shirt, a purple sweater, and optical glasses, the artist also composed the show’s opening track, "Margot Tennenbaum," with its lyrics discreetly engraved onto bags and leather shoes.

When asked what kind of personality would embody this collection, the word "Divine" comes to Paloma instantly - a modern divinity grounded in an effortless mindset and the absolute comfort of feeling entirely at ease in what you wear.