Spring 2014 Ready-To-Wear - Bouchra Jarrar
If you've been paying attention to the headlines, you'll have noticed that France's big fashion conglomerates have been in major acquisition mode lately.
Courtesy of Bouchra Jarrar
First published Vogue
The designers in whom they're investing are mostly out-of-towners, and mostly men. Their prerogative. But why hasn't one or the other of them snapped up Bouchra Jarrar? Jarrar doesn't receive the editorial attention of a J.W. Anderson or a Christopher Kane, partly because she presents on the runway during the Couture shows and not ready-to-wear, and partly because she specializes in real-world chic. But her clothes are worth getting excited about—really excited, if you're the kind of woman who can appreciate a perfectly cut trouser, a leather biker jacket that isn't trying too hard, or a draped, asymmetric dress in a patchwork of tonal silk and crepe.
Jarrar's Spring ready-to-wear collection, which she presented in her atelier today, was a clever diffusion of her July Couture show: similar shapes, more attainable, everyday fabrics. The ivory bead-encrusted vest that nabbed so many raves was redone here sans embellishment, save for a zipper-trim martingale that gave it a dose of cool. The patchwork dresses lost their extravagant drape; in two different shift styles they looked more office-ready. And a black and white striped cotton sleeveless coat would make a versatile fashion investment. Jarrar has built a very nice business on her skills, but just imagine what she could do with a supportive, smart backer.