Looks Fashion News

ERD founder Henri Alexander Levy has always dabbled in many things, from fashion to art, jewelry and music. In December, he headlined a showing of his artwork in Moscow. He returned to LA with constructivism and the geometric abstractions of Suprematism dancing in his head.

Fast forward to PFW, and the Russian air—complete with sudsy-snowfall—breezed into the elegant courtyard of the Maison de la Chimie, an 18th century hôtel particulier in the 7th arrondissement that was once the seat of the La Rochefoucauld family.

“It was pieced together subconsciously over the season,” the creative director offered. “I think that any one theme that’s too direct wouldn’t make for a complex or beautiful vision.”

From the front row, the staging for that vision seemed like a deliberate provocation. The centerpiece was a model in a white bikini, prone, her hands chained to a statue in the center of a faux-snowy courtyard as night fell on International Women’s Day. Those optics were aggravated by a cameo by Levy’s pal Marilyn Manson, who opened the show with an austere first look and a spoken introduction. But for anyone willing to suspend disbelief and focus on the clothes, Levy did pull off something unexpected: the lineup showed maturity.

Backstage, Levy allowed that, over time, he’s become attached to simpler things which, as any creative can attest, is harder to achieve. The strongest statements included some very sharp outerwear: a black coat with a sandy fur trim had swagger, as did a fairly timeless-looking black shearling and glossy trench with tonal fur trim. Hourglass jackets with military influences looked well-cut; so did the Deco-inflected, midnight-hued satin gown that closed the show. Still, there were enough lacy, floaty, and cheekily short pieces here to hold the attention of ERD’s historic base. Levy may have called this collection “rearranging history,” but overall—and self-seriousness aside—it felt more like a step forward.