Germanier RTW Fall 2023

Kevin Germanier is known for creations that bring to mind an explosion in a bead shop. This season, he wanted to prove he can do wearable too, with a collection titled “F—ing Business.”

It marked a rare foray into black for the designer, known for his rainbow palette. Options included a tuxedo suit with crystal-embellished lacing, and a sleek sequined evening dress embellished with ropes of pearls, all produced using upcycled and deadstock materials.

“With this collection, I want to offer my clients a selection of products,” Germanier explained backstage. “I want to show I have more than one string to my bow.”

The show at Christie’s auction house also marked the launch of footwear, from lace-up boots to slingbacks bearing his new “G” logo rendered in pearls. He plans to add shoes to the bread-and-butter categories on his e-commerce site, which are handbags and knitwear.

Business has been boosted by the label’s appearance on the latest season of “Emily in Paris.” The yellow knit top and feather trim skirt worn by Lily Collins are still available for sale.

For fall, twinsets with ultra-short skirts came in fuzzy pastel knits with neon trims, handmade by his mother and grandmother in Switzerland. Other “casual” options included a jean jacket and pants emblazoned with silver crystal Smileys and trimmed with gray ostrich feathers.

“The reality nowadays is that women are CEOs, they have kids, they have active lives, so the idea that they will wear a corset that they can’t move in is a little dated,” Germanier said.

A black dress with bondage-style lacing that fully exposed the breasts suggested his instinct for showmanship remains intact. But the designer, a finalist for several leading awards in recent years, wants to take his career to the next level. “I want to show I’m ready to go to a big house,” he said.

With many brands attempting to shift their operations in a more sustainable direction, it’s only a matter of time before Germanier gets a bigger stage.