FALL 2019 READY-TO-WEAR: HERVÉ LÉGER
February 12, 2019

Hervé Léger has gone through a transformation since Christian Juul Nielsen took over as creative director in September. There are still those classic bandage dresses available, the suck-you-in kind that are short, strappy, and red hot. Those will never go away. But there is a refreshed air to the whole label. It’s cleaner and more refined. Nielsen has noted that he’s been trying to make things “relevant and easy” and with that, there is a certain emphasis on back-to-basics. This time, he continued storylines from his debut season, like draping, a technique from Hervé Leroux’s founding years, which was seen today in a pale pink mini dress with a criss-cross bust. Another killer look that recalled the classic supermodel era was a minimalist turtleneck jumpsuit. Here, the top portion was bandaged and the pants had pleats at the waist for a super streamlined effect.
Something to take note of is how the designer applies many techniques that he learned while working under John Galliano at Christian Dior. There were fine details, like his use of double-faced cashmere for a lush red skirt, or the eyelash Lurex that added a punched-up texture to a sweater. It’s the type of thing this label needs to get on the radar of a new generation of customers.