Issue link: https://www.balharbourdigital.com/i/1494492
In October, Akris, the only Swiss brand to show in Paris, presented its Spring 2023 collection in a location imbued with special meaning for Kriemler. This show was a chance to celebrate where Akris is from and where it is going. "We waited six months for a confirmation of that venue, the yard between the Palais de Tokyo and the Musée d'Art Moderne de Paris overlooking the Ei…el Tower," he explains. The show, a testament to the brand's love of art, was staged alongside a vivid rainbow-colored 2011 sculpture by Ugo Rondinone. The show closed with a series of silk beige georgette gowns with streaming ribbons in colors echoing the sculpture. Kriemler is an avid collector of contemporary art and, since 2008, has regularly used the work of artists like painter Carmen Herrera, filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard, and the Swiss architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron as inspiration for collections. The collection also included nine archival pieces from Kriemler's first years at the house. Uncovered by Kriemler and his team while preparing for the centennial, the discovery transformed his conception of the show. "We knew right away we had to work with them, because they looked even more modern today than back then," he says of the 1978 cashmere wrap coat, the 1983 pants, and a lace blouse from 1989. "They just defied time and we wanted to reveal this timelessness that is so essential to Akris. So, we decided to show these original archive pieces even on the runway," he explains. "Further looks in the collection were inspired by old paper pat terns we found and refashioned. I liked the idea that with this fresh perspective, the past becomes the future." "FOR US , THIS CENTEN N I A L IS A N INCENTIVE TO PAUSE , A POI NT I N W HICH EV ERY THI NG CA N REN EW ITSELF. LET'S CA LL IT A REBEGINNING ." CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Backstage at Spring/Summer 2023; Kriemler designed costumes for the Hamburg State Opera's staging of Beethoven Project II, choreographed by John Neumeier; models in archival looks; a look from Spring/Summer 2023. in Paris, presented its special meaning for meaning for meaning where Akris is from and confirmation of that of that of venue, that venue, that REBEGINNING ." 196 BAL HARBOUR