Patrik Ervell
REVIEW
COMPLETE COLLECTION
NEW YORK, February 2, 2008
By
The air was heavy with church incense, the crowd was larded with art-world names (and Michael Stipe), and the runway was covered with the gold foil used in emergency blankets. A message so mixed promises much in the fashion world. The repurposing of purely functional materials has always been one of Ervell's key proposals, and that process provided the collection's highlights. The transmogrified parachute has become something of a signature, and here it was again in a blouson. The emergency blanket reappeared as a hoodie. It was spectacular.But, while it was fascinating as ever to parse Patrik Ervell's cool Scandinavian take on classic Americana, one is beginning to wish for a little more oomph in his offering. There's certainly room for a bit more creative audacity in Ervell's resolutely downbeat, detail-less tailored pieces: the single-buttoned jacket, the flat-front pant, the fly-front coat, so many of them shown with footwear of a karate-kid anonymity. Not to knock subtlety, but it shines brightest as one of many weapons in the arsenal of a designer who oozes confidence. It's possible Ervell may already be safely on that path. Could the gold-beaded, paillette-trimmed cardigan he showed really have taken three months to make? Why, that's practically couture—which means oomph may be just around the corner.
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