ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN DE MODE
Article Published on: 04 MAR 2023 | www.demodemagazine.com
Jitrois, an iconic leather brand with a French subversive mindset. Throughout its 33-year history, the house has taken a stand against fast fashion and strived to put sustainability at the heart of its designs. Jitrois has worked with an assortment of creative minds throughout his career including Helmut Newton, Jean-Baptiste Mondino, Karl Lagerfeld and Rankin. Innovative. Subversive. Luxury. Jitrois is a forward-thinking leather fashion house that has participated in the dramatic transformation of leather into a cornerstone of couture. Established in the South of France and based in Paris, Jitrois offers the ultimate collection of leather and suede pieces designed for every occasion, inspiring the empowerment of women.
Jean-Claude Jitrois, the creator of stretch leather, bases each of his collections on the knowledge gathered during his time as a psychologist - his profession for eleven years, before turning his hand to design. As ever, La Maison Jitrois strives to give its J3 Klub the tools to learn and foster new identities, while reinforcing those they already possess. This season, Jean-Claude Jitrois sought to delve even deeper into the psyche than before and discover what lies at the heart of each and every one of us; every fragment of character, every newfound idealised obsession and every hidden impulse. Let Them Know who you are [and who you want to be seen as] because the second self is perhaps even more important than the first. Why? Because it's the most visible, the suit of armour shown to the world, the representation of how we want to be perceived.
The vision for Jitrois’ AW23/24 collection is an ocean of identities, merging, competing, co-existing, and interacting beneath the glare of a postmodern lens. Jean-Claude Jitrois took inspiration from the Punk scene of 1980s London: an era of unashamed self and politics through the medium of style. In keeping with the house's ethos, however, the garments are all imbued with the Parisian polish Jitrois is so known for. Effortless chaos is channelled into clean, tailored lines to create sleek and dangerous silhouettes made from eclectic layers and disruptive injections of colour.
This season saw the house’s traditional luminous black set against new tones like Electric Orange, Neige Snow, Citrine Yellow, and an arresting Turquoise. Then daring, sharper shapes across the body entered the ring, cinching and maximising in some places, yet augmenting in others. The duality of luxury and anarchy here emboldens the wearer to engage with and embody the many sides to their personas. The exposed zip, a staple of Jitrois, has found new homes and functionalities in AW23/24, with the wearer having even greater agency over their looks. Jackets can be opened at the waist or sleeves, dresses from the neck to the hem, and some pieces all over, to conceal or reveal however much skin is required for the occasion. This textural marriage of futuristic hardware against the skin and second skin results in a contemporary effect that oozes timeless sexuality for all. Fine leather embroideries are also used to paint patterns onto the skin, sometimes through intricately cut shapes or bold motifs within the mesh.
The pieces make a subtle nod to the historic rebellion of tattoos but through the unignorable medium of fine couture. Through the dark of Autumn-Winter nights comes the sparkle of parties and possibilities. Through both Swarovski crystal embellishments and radiant metallic leathers in, Lilac and Rose Gold, Jitrois brings the unapologetic decadence of 1980s Saint-Tropez to the modern stage. Such high-voltage materials exude the house’s infamous reputation and cherished history. Featured across dresses, boleros, gaiters, gloves, scarves, and more, these pieces and accents inject the collection with an elevated level of glamour and luxury to catch the eyes of every passerby or strobe light; here shot against the backdrops of night and sensual block colours for high-octane energy. These spirited pieces empower the wearer to be the most glittering versions of themselves.
As always, Jean-Claude Jitrois searches to stimulate every sense, so explored new textures this season: introducing Mongolian Lamb trims and revisiting fringing in unexpected places, besides their smooth counterparts. The gentle, nonuniform nature of Mongolian Lamb makes a refreshing contrast to the precision and permanence of leather, creating chic, versatile coats for parties and for every day. While sometimes making a nod to contemporary street style, they retain the house’s instantly recognisable silhouette.
The leather fringing, another staple of the Jitrois oeuvre has taken a new form on the leg. Shown at its most dynamic and alluring in movement, the material is exhibited in both seductive black and the shocking new Citrine Yellow, on the shin as a form of the gaiter. They afford further drama to the looks, with an almost playful and versatile edge to them. Finally, Jitrois offer new shapes in sumptuous suede, with military-style hooded jackets: striking to the eye, but impossibly soft to the touch. For the AW23/24 collection, Jitrois invites their J3 Klub to celebrate themselves like never before: every aspect of the body and the mind, letting identities run riot. Having presented such a multifaceted collection, rich in new ideas, it’s clear the house is entering a new era of structure, texture, glamour, and sexuality.
