Christian Juul Nielsen loves a supermodel vibe, and indeed many of his friends are models from his Christian Dior–Galliano days. He doesn’t design with mood boards, but mostly according to what he imagines his friends would like to wear. The results this season were Amazonian-minded pieces. A short black dress stitched with crystals seemed like a fit for a supermodel from the bygone Léger era, or for a present-day Bella Hadid type. Nielsen is also an archive-head: There were pieces based on a Karen Mulder look from 1996—she was Léger’s favorite model—that included a criss-crossed, cropped pink-and-white top. It was a great look, but perhaps Nielsen should think about taking more of his own creative liberties.
Now, it is not easy to dress up a bandage dress. Usually that task involves hefty embroidery, but Nielsen has a light hand and is thinking beyond the addition of typical adornments. He’s creating new bandage techniques, like giving the bandages ridges for more texture or adding feather-light fringe that creates movement. In one black bandage dress, Nielsen added huge flamenco sleeves made out of silk, creating the “I’ve arrived” appeal that Hervé Léger customers, old and new, are looking for.
