J. Mendel is and has always been an upscale brand. Despite its contemporary status, it’s always upheld classic sophistication and old-school elegance. In recent years, however, this has been a bit of a flaw as the industry started paying more attention to the youth. But that hasn’t stopped Gilles Mendel nor has it changed his design philosophy. Instead, he beautifully translated his own sartorial codes and injected a more youthful edge to them in his Fall 2019 line. Though some styling choices were severely misguided—particularly that tacky-looking first ensemble—we’re happy to say that he did a good job this season! Not only did his clothes look more relevant and contemporary this time around, but his focus on quality textiles with fine textures emphasized his stronghold on luxury. For example, that faux fur zip-up jacket had the right exuberance to entice a millennial customer into showing it off on her Instagram. A dusky old rose teddy bear-fur coat, on the other hand, looks to be the perfect outerwear for modern women on the go. As for evening, his array of sculptural ball gowns will make great impacts, both in real-life and on their social media pages. Though the ruffles were a bit much, we’re willing to overlook them! Overall, this was a stunning outing from a designer who truly knows what he’s doing!
Photo: Courtesy of J. Mendel
