Seaside memories with Courrèges ss 25

It's already the end of June and the sun is struggling to show itself in Paris, so Nicolas di Felice is taking us on a sunny escapade with his Courrèges ss 2025 collection. The designer makes us forget the Parisian gloom for a moment by translating his wardrobe into minimalist, sharp looks that take us to the shores of the island of Amorgos and plunge us into its translucent waters, all the while working with the house's archives from a ss 1970 collection. He tells Vogue in a zoom: « As I was planning my holiday in Greece, I thought: OK, I'd like to put the construction details of what I usually wear, but I didn't want to do sportswear in the end ». The director struggled to mix the utilitarian with the Parisian cool in yet another spectacular way.

This collection, with its sober, timeless colour palette (black, white, red and beige) and fabrics that are both authentic and luxurious (cotton, wool, denim, leather and suede), we realise that Di Felice subtly reinvents himself with each collection while retaining the house's singular image, updating its explicit retro-futuristic, graphic and geometric characteristics. He explores the archives, immerses himself in them and cleverly works and modifies the details that will bring out the beauty of the brand's minimalism. He says: « I really need to work the clothes on the body. It may sound simple, » he continued, « but we really fit everything; we work - jackets, skirts, trousers, even the simplest pieces - from A to Z. » Speaking of details, the first looks feature these cotton and leather trench coats with cleverly cut collars falling over one shoulder and one sleeve. The same detail is added to the looser, blouson-style versions, cut at the hips. Di Felice immerses us in the world of diving and hiking equipment, weaving technical details into redesigned elegant trench coats, cinched by a belt reminiscent of a wetsuit, or raw indigo denim trousers adorned with meticulously thought-out functional details. But if there's one piece that stands out from this collection, it's the famous « magic square » knit top, an ingeniously dazzling geometric piece that sculpts the torso with architectural precision for both men and women, creating a memorable and striking visual effect that honours Courrèges' famous H-shaped silhouette. Some are emblazoned with abstract graphics inspired by hiking signs, a reminder of the designer wandering the treks of the island of Amorgos.

He also pays homage to Courrèges' vibrant ss 1970's collection, with asymmetrical buttonholes and cleverly deconstructed hip-hugging band detailing that cinches his slim-fit trousers or cascading down to the hips into slim panels or buttoned cuffs at the ankles. With superimposed waistbands and oversized belt loops, the collection presents daring juxtapositions. Nicolas di Felice gives us a wardrobe bursting with sunshine and summer memories, with pockets inspired by water sports and slip-on diving shoes. The latter have been reinvented to walk the streets of Paris with style and daring, in nappa leather and luxurious scuba jersey. The revisited denim biker jacket, with its surf-inspired zip and locker loop for hanging up to dry after a day in the spray, also embodies this maritime aspect. It seems that the designer is on the right track in the way he is modernising the brand, like a trek to an island paradise, forgetting the gloom of Paris. Once again, Di Felice succeeds in capturing the essence of Courrèges with boldness and elegance without nostalgia, projecting the brand into a contemporary future that is subtly imbued with reminiscences of the past.