ON THE MOVE
The first collection by Berluti’s new creative chief clearly signals his intent to bring the heritage house into the now.
Now that the taste for fashion lies in the statement-making rather than the beautiful, creating nice things isn’t always enough. Following designer Haider Ackermann’s short – just three seasons – but well-regarded stint at Berluti, former Dior Homme creative director Kris Van Assche was named his successor. The latter had a successful 11-year tenure at Dior Homme, during which he introduced hot new ambassadors such as American rap star Asap Rocky, alongside sharp tailoring and streetwear influences. Having joined Berluti last April, he now presents a Spring/Summer 2019 capsule collection and, boy, it’s clear that a new creative chief is in town.
While Ackermann brought a languid, romantic style to Berluti’s clothing (though, some say, not placing enough of an emphasis on the brand’s bread-and-butter accessories), Van Assche is putting his own sharp, commercially proven spin on Berluti’s ready-towear and accessory collections. Aside from establishing a new house tailoring silhouette with a streamlined two-button jacket and cropped trousers, the designer has harnessed the brand’s famed expertise with leather accessories, using it to create clothes such as a black suit and a red hoodie jacket.
In the accessories department, Van Assche is clearly striving to take Berluti’s muchloved footwear into the current fashion melee. Classic Berluti shoes such as the Alessandro oxford and the Andy loafer have been elevated – literally, at least – with the thick soles that characterise trendy footwear everywhere else right now. This collection also sees the introduction of another musthave of the moment: A big, blocky logo, emblazoned across a T-shirt, a jacket and a sweatshirt. With his finger so clearly on the fashion pulse, will Van Assche be the right fit for this heritage house? It won’t take too long to find out.