Atlein broadens horizons with innovative collection

By

Dominique Muret

Translated by
Nicola Mira

Published
Sep 28, 2017

With his second Paris Fashion Week show, French designer Antonin Tron has confirmed his talent and raised the bar. Tron, 30, launched his women's ready-to-wear label Atlein in 2016. Initially specialised in jersey fabrics, for the Spring/Summer 2018 he has broadened his range, exploring new materials and constructions.

 
The designer said memory was the theme which inspired him in creating his third collection, which showed on Thursday at the neo-classical Chapelle Expiatoire, behind the Madeleine. A subjective memory, with shreds of remembrance seemingly lying upon the clothes like so many different layers, giving rise to an intense, entirely refreshed collection.
 
"I'm always keen on movement, but this collection marks a truly radical evolution. Previously, I used to work with a well-harnessed material. Nowadays, I evoke movement in a different way, using cotton outerwear pieces which are a far cry from what I used to do before. The idea is to become a fully fledged ready-to-wear label," said Antonin Tron backstage.

Jersey fabric is still to be found in some dresses that slide over the body, but is is also blended with viscose or overlaid in clever combinations. Fabrics are twisted, wrinkled, crossed over or pleated, sometimes creating unexpected slits.
 
For example, swathes of red tech fabric are inlaid onto a beige knitted sweater, like a flow of material cast into the garment, creating a special relief effect. A blue veil resting on a figure-hugging red dress gives it a purple hue. Other dresses are manufactured using different swathes of cloth assembled asymmetrically, or using hybrid materials which often combine two utterly different fabrics.
 
Part of the wardrobe consists of tight-fitting cotton outerwear items, in which the structure of motocross tops or trousers can be glimpsed. "I actually felt I was totally free in my design work, and went foraging through my past, especially my school years, when I specialised in menswear, on which I also worked for a long time at Louis Vuitton Homme," said Antonin Tron.