Philipp Plein is one of those people who believes in the old adage that “bigger is better”. Or is it “go big or go home”? Well, you get the idea. He is not an understated designer. His work is about flash, sex and rock-n-roll with an abundance of leather and loads of Swarovski crystals.
This sort of showmanship is lacking in fashion right now. It’s not every day you see a designer use three Mack trucks to wheel in, cattle style, his entire lineup of models. But they certainly did look bad-ass as they leaned against the silver railings while the truck spewed flames from its exhaust pipes, Mad Max style.
While the audience watched, their eyes a bit blurry thanks to the quaking musical back beat that caused their seats to vibrate, Plein sent his party-ready models down a runway gauntlet. In preparation for a night of hardcore dancing heels were given a pass. In their stead were shimmering sneakers and above them were a wide variety of black, white and metallic ensembles that had a cool sporty street vibe to them. Or alternatively body-con dresses and jumpsuits that looked like modern day updates on the Metropolis robot.
For all the fun and games, Plein doesn’t skimp on the construction of his clothing. All of his pieces are made in Italy with much of them hand-finished. It looks like he takes his work as seriously as he does his play.