For the 2018 season, Philip Plein unveiled his first Resort show and he chose his home in Cannes in which to do it. 250 personally selected guests took their seats in the garden at La Jungle Du Roi, Plein’s majestic Côte d’Azur home.
Inspired by the nature and light of the surroundings, the collection was full of floral patterns and sparkling embellishment. Flower patterned 50’s style gowns were romantic and fresh; elsewhere, black floor-length lace dresses with appliqued red roses injected a feeling of Flamenco-like passion.
Streetwear influences were prevalent throughout, with glamorous pieces teamed with sweatshirts, fur-trimmed bombers and studded leather jackets, combining fierceness and femininity. The denim, which took the form of jean flares, jackets and matching handbags, was richly adorned to elevate the pieces from every-day to super-luxe.
Denim also dominated the menswear on show; from frayed and ripped to studded, patchworked, painted and embroidered, skinny jeans and jackets were the uniform du jour. All were styled in an effortless and relaxed way with white high-top sneakers. Black leather biker jackets and skull prints added an element of punk attitude and toughness to the cool vibe.
The Resort 2018 show included elements from a new capsule collection with graffiti artist Alec Monopoly. Sweatshirts, jackets and tracksuits were covered with his trademark top-hatted man, dollar bill signs and personalised one-off pieces created especially for the Cannes show.
By opening up his private home for his Resort debut, Plein revealed his most personal collection so far, saying that ‘opening up my home to people is a new experience. It’s very personal because when you meet someone for the first time, you don’t really get to know much about them but when you go to someone’s home… that’s when you find out everything. La Jungle Du Roi is where I come to escape. It’s where I come when I need to breath and I’m trying to relax. It has a very positive atmosphere here and it gives me lots of energy. It’s my happy place.’
