Welcome to the 90th issue of B.
I like to peruse clothes in intimate boutiques, where I can focus and feel calm without excessive hospitality or wary looks. Like leisurely browsing books at a neighborhood bookstore. While it is true that the e-commerce market is ever expanding—and online stores keep improving delivery systems and customer service to the point where it cannot get any more convenient—I still think that you have to see and touch each article of clothing to know if it is good. Here, you might ask what defines “good.” Standards for good clothes are determined by time and circumstances. That said, I think good clothes should reveal the creator’s sincerity toward the basic principles of clothing and their level of care to incorporate subtle details. I’m more drawn to creators who approach clothing carefully and thoughtfully, thus defying the recent trend of overshadowing the actual clothing with entertainment marketing or allowing brand names to be the singular defining standard of quality. I liken it to enjoying dishes that spotlight the unique flavors of ingredients rather than the reputations of chefs.
I distinctly remember feeling quite impressed when I first encountered French fashion label Lemaire. The clothes clearly revealed the brand’s ethos behind its choice of colors, materials, silhouettes, and other details. What’s more, the pieces prove their
real worth when they are worn, and people get to keep filling their wardrobes with Lemaire once they become familiar with the brand. This characteristic is often described as “minimalism” and “normcore,” but I think “everyday wear” best describes what Lemaire is after. But this brand’s everyday wear is not particularly affordable, its collections are not released super frequently, and its designs are far from bland ones that do not quite communicate any particular identity. Even though everyday wear has long been considered low on the fashion totem pole, Lemaire deftly expresses the full potential of clothing through this style.
The brand’s founder and co-creative director Christophe Lemaire says that he designs clothes based on people’s ordinary movements in everyday life and that what people feel through the clothes they wear is important. This explains why some describe Lemaire’s clothing as being something out of a movie rather than something out of a fantasy. To put it another way, Lemaire is an urban-like brand. City dwellers want to blend in naturally with their environment, which is exactly what Lemaire pieces do. Whether it is morning in Paris, nighttime in Seoul, a lush outdoor park, or a restaurant with modern décor, Lemaire fits into the scene seamlessly.
Come to think of it, we pay more attention to clothes that suit the wearer and the space rather than loud garments that stand out like museum pieces. And that’s because clothing only comes to life when it is connected to the wearer’s language, movements, and attitude. In other words, curiosity about and observation of an individual’s clothing can provide important clues about who they are. A person’s so-called private clothes say so much and is more nuanced than you might believe, and good clothes enrich those fine details. This was the most interesting thing that I discovered while working on this issue. I hope that our readers, too, enjoy the many stories woven into clothing and take time to think about the variegated nuances of each piece.
