NEW MODEL: Philippe Model Paris presented its first collection in Milan during Men’s Fashion Week following the appointment of Finnish designer Tuomas Merikoski as creative director of the brand.
Merikoski is the founder of the Aalto brand, and has worked in Paris at Louis Vuitton with Kim Jones and at Givenchy with Riccardo Tisci. Aalto was a finalist of the LVMH Prize in 2016.
Under managing director Stefano Di Nezza, the brand is expanding from its core footwear business into a men’s and women’s apparel collection. The first was called “Imperfections.”
This translated into men’s and women’s apparel that had unexpected details meant “to stay away from a forced image,” explained Di Nezza, such as a trench coat that showed an unlined hem, or pants that had some carefully placed spots, telegraphing “a vibrant and cool melting pot of culture, art, religion and social life harking back to the brand’s Paris origins,” he said.
Colorful knits showed the brand’s stylized logo in graphic motifs, while shearling vests and checkered pants had an easy and relaxed attitude. Mindful of its legacy, it introduced a fun new sneaker with a supersized midsole in colors contrasting with the vamp.
“We are conveying the message that we want to transform this into a global brand, dusting it off while leveraging its past,” said Merikoski.
In July 2016, 21 Investimenti, the private equity firm Alessandro Benetton founded in 1992 that is now called 21 Invest, acquired a majority stake in Philippe Model Paris.
