Bernhard Willhelm’s collection at Mercedes-Benz Berlin Fashion Week threw me into desperation. This bad state of mind wasn’t caused by the collection itself, but by a subtle connection that somehow clicked in my mind as soon as I saw what Willhelm came up with for his next menswear collection.
Willhelm’s designs were inspired by the wintry landscapes of Innsbruck at the end of the 70s. Some of the colour combinations and the fabrics Willhelm employed in his collection brought back to my mind the creations by an Italian sportswear brand founded 50 years ago in Perugia, ellesse.
One of the most famous designs launched by this company was the “Jet Pant”, futuristic stretch ski-pants that featured an elastic yoke on the back of the trousers that made movements easier, a lowered crotch that provided maximum comfort, padded knees that protected the legs of the skiers from the frequent accidents they were prone to and internal nylon gaiters that helped preventing snow seepage into the boots. The brand was also famous for producing cross country skiing uniforms and skiing suits characterised by bold and bright shades of colours such as yellow, blue and red.
Though four years ago design duo Eley Kishimoto injected their style into ellesse sportswear creating prints inspired by tennis wear and launching an interesting winter collection that brought a special glamour on the slopes, the Italian brand (that was sold a while back to a British group), found it somehow difficult to go back to its previous glories and international successes.
One of the main reasons why historical companies often lose their credibility and customers even when they are bought from another company that tries to revamp them, is that they seem to be scared to entirely renew themselves maybe also with the help of some new and cutting edge designers, finding in this way a brand new balance between heritage and contemporary design.
This is essentially the main reason why Willhelm collection - a mix of retro skiwear and modern and bold graphics presented through an ironic installation - threw me into desperation. To my eyes Willhelm effortlessly found that perfect balance between the famous and iconic designs ellesse used to produce and modernity.
Suits featuring retro red, blue and white stripes prevailed, but there were also tight fitting yellow skiing trousers with the classic padded knees, skiing dungarees that looked rather Shakesperean and tied in with Willhelm’s Spring/Summer 09 menswear collection and yellow and black/yellow and blue drop-crotch trousers paired with matching tops for the fans of bold graphic designs and relaxed silhouettes.
Models also wore boots from Bernhard Willhelm's “Camper Together” collection and ski goggles with reflecting glasses by Mykita.
You could argue that some of Willhelm’s designs were maybe a bit too skimpy for winter, but the irony, the retro mood and that special added fun that Willhelm sprinkled on his fake winter wonderland were special, and they were exactly what some sportswear brands have been missing out on in their recent collections and in their attempts at successfully re-launching themselves on the market.
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