Article by Frank Cierpial

As you all know, here at Prête-Moi Paris, we have a special relationship with Luis Buchinho that goes back a while now. He is always the highlight of our Fashion Week schedule and that is mostly because he is innovative, creative, and always does something different to keep us on the edge of our seats. This year he had a show in one of the most beautiful neighborhoods in Paris and one of my favorites. It was in the 16th arrondissement, not far at all from the quarter that is home to the Eiffel Tower and gives you a real feeling of being in Paris. I feel that every show that I see of his always tops the last one. So far, this is my third time covering his show and this original Portuguese designer has done it again.

His show this year was like an entire theatrical performance all based around the idea of machines.

We saw many shapes that reminded us of machines. Straight lines and shapes that were very structured printed on the fabric. It was one of those shows that used every single one of your senses to show you the inspiration and what he was feeling when he designed the collection. A Dark Techno remix of Smells like Teen Spirit was playing as the models walked down the runway in a certain circular manner in many different directions. Looking back on the moment, the formation in which they walked was almost like a machine. One thing I love about Luis Buchinho is his magic when it comes to color. He organizes colors in such a way that take you literally on a journey. He will go from dark colors to light colors and sometimes vice versa. At some parts of the show, I got a very industrial feeling from his collection even though at other times it got pretty “edgy-glamour” if that is even a word. Another thing he did that I expect and that I love every time is the way he layers colors. He will use color as a tool to pop texture and add depth to the outfits, and you can see that depth in every movement.

About 2 minutes into the show the music changed, and something else started with a less grungy tone. When the music changed, the atmosphere of the collection changed. Things became more sparkly, the colors became lighter, and the layering became much more intricate. The show ended with all the models organizing themselves on stage in a manner where you could clearly see the full scope of his collection. This was a magical moment, because you saw the diversity in his use of colors, layering, and arranging fabric.

Once again, I was lucky enough to catch up with him after the show. We had a brief conversation about his collection and his show and he helped me fill in the blanks a little bit. Obviously from the gear design on his clothing, I thought that machines and the inner working of machines was an inspiration to him, but he gave me a whole new side to this collection. He told me that he was indeed inspired by machinery, but more specifically the little metal parts that make machines up. He took that very rough and metallic idea and turned it into a sexy collection. He went on to tell me about the strength of machines and how women are strong. Just before ending the interview, he added that the song was a rough and strong song just like his collection and just like the women in the show. I really loved that he wanted to empower women, because that is something that is important to me. People sometimes think that women are held hostage to fashion when the truth is that it is something that empowers them in so many ways. As always Luis Buchinho has topped his last collection and I am excited to see what he comes up with in February.