Translated by
Nicola Mira
Published
Jun 21, 2017
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Icosae goes neo-romantic at Paris Men's Fashion Week

Translated by
Nicola Mira
Published
Jun 21, 2017

On the first day of the Paris menswear Fashion Week, Icosae's young designer duo showcased their latest collection beneath the spectacular neon ceiling of the Faust nightclub. It was the second time Icosae featured on the event's official calendar.


The Icosae show on 21st June 2017 - Alexis Chenu


French brothers Florentin and Valentin Glemarec, 21 and 22, have respectively studied graphic design at the ENSAAMA decorative arts academy, and fashion design at the Atelier Chardon Savard school. They spent the last three years working on their own fashion label, whose name comes from the French word for the icosahedron, a twenty-face geometric figure.

Their latest collection, tagged 'The world has music for those who listen', was rightly hailed as "new-wave tailoring", and offers Icosae's own take on contemporary menswear. "Unfailingly elegant, raw and precious at the same time, said Valentin Glemarec, "clothes with increasingly sophisticated cuts, while studs, metal and hand-made embroidered details add an extra decorative dimension to the garments." 

This season's collection was inspired by the shimmering vibe of the Los Angeles nights, and is a winner for the trousers' colour palette, notably the stone-washed denim effects, while staying true to Icosae's signature elements: an array of Perfecto-style jackets and destructured bomber jackets, spliced sweatshirts and prints which Valentin created from paintings.

Icosae was recently reorganised, and is focused around the two designers and strategy and commercial director Dounia Merabet (formerly with Lanvin and Givenchy). Still independently funded, the label was quick to hit on a range of select clients: New York concept store ODD, one of the first to talent-spot the brand, department stores Barney's in Tokyo and Harvey Nichols in Hong Kong, for a total of about fifteen stores worldwide.

And more are likely to follow, as buyers from French department stores Galeries Lafayette and Printemps attended the show, alongside representatives from Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus. The collections are mostly produced in France and Belgium, as the Glemarec brothers are keen to employ workshops which regularly work for major labels such as Givenchy or Saint Laurent.  

And this summer may bring more good news for the French designer duo, who have been short-listed among the finalists of the next Woolmark Prize.

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