Lutz Huelle F/W 2024.25 Paris

^ would be nice to see him get more recognition but I think he's one of the few designers who has found stability within a rhythm of work that's very much like an artist, he has been exploring the same elements and techniques in design and revisiting them over and over, improving, refining, polishing, adding something new, departing from them for a bit, only to go back to them. It's fascinating as a general picture but not the most entrancing view for the type of consumer that lusts after logos, trends and status, and it's completely against the requirements of big corporations, they want novelty yesterday, to keep customers wowed and high on the new and to see what the competitors are doing and surpass their success. I feel like he's too pure for that filth, he always emits joy and optimism in both personality and work and it would be sad to see that slowly erode.. or to see him experience what Alber experienced at Lanvin.
 
I hadn’t thought about it like that but you make a valid point. I liked his Delpozo though, maybe even more than his own line, it felt more luxurious and desirable as opposed to the diy feel of his own collection, although it might simply be a question of financial means.
I guess I’d just love to see what he would do with a bigger budget, but as you say, it’s not even sure he’s even interested. Lanvin would be lucky to have him though, they have such a mean reputation after what they did to Elbaz and the guy who did mens.
 
As talented as I beleive Huelle to be, there's very few fashion houses that could possibly align with his increasingly rare approach to design in an industry that has shifted to fashion as a image, rather than a materiality. Maybe, he could do well at one of those craft-centered brands that make "ever-so-slightly-odd" clothes like Dries Van Noten, Margiela or Marni. If he can deal in a more corporate setting, he could do wonders at Fendi or Loewe.

Personally, I'd like to see someone, maybe Richemont or Puig, invest in his own brand, even if it is just a small injection of 5 to 10 million euros/year. Upgrade the collection fabrics, build a digital strategy, develop a bag. Even if he (understandably) doesn't want to get back on the runway treadmill, he could pull his presentations out of the "white-box" setting. This setting with the moody rustic church really complemented the colours of this collection.
 
Personally, I'd like to see someone, maybe Richemont or Puig, invest in his own brand, even if it is just a small injection of 5 to 10 million euros/year. Upgrade the collection fabrics, build a digital strategy, develop a bag.
that would be great!

I see his approach similar to that of a Dries van Noten or Phoebe Philo in that he does ‘real’ clothes as opposed to image, which is exactly what Lanvin or Givenchy needs, someone who knows how to make clothes and who, just as importantly, has a clear point of view.
 
I fail to see the aforementioned point of view. His collections couldn't be more nondescript. There is also always something cheap about them, maybe it's his choice of fabrics.
 
^ It's why I personally would like to see him gain some investors and backers to pump a little more cash into the brand.

I enjoy Lutz a lot, from his charisma to the premise of both the clothes and way of dressing, but there is still always something that is a touch lacking. It's not necessarily total cheapness, it's just the choices are indicative of a certain level of money that can be expended for the scale he's working with.
 
^ investors would certainly come with demands to make this more profitable aka more commercial and that's a double-edge sword but relatively manageable and probably worth prolonging his survival (even though he's survived against all odds at this point- even the 2008 generation that wiped out nearly all of independent design).

I totally see the 'cheap' factor.. but I think that's a simplistic way to describe something a bit more complicated: it's raw, and like he considered things finished before they were actually finished, and I think that's a combination of budget (limited funds- 'cheapness'), lack of a strong stylist/consultant presence, that he seems pretty.. whimsical? (remember his lockdown videos?), and.. unlike most designers in this time and age, that he is not obsessed with the past.. if you look at his work, his only references are his own work, or the work of his contemporaries, he's not continually referencing historical periods, or telling stories and I think that makes his pieces look unfinished, underfunded in a 'to be continued' way that can only be connected with his own work in the future.

Personally, I'm not always a fan of his pieces or entire collections, and some of them do look a little too homemade/DIY, but I infinitely prefer that because it's not after me as a consumer, it's there, been firmly the same for years, and you either get in the mood or not, and I find that far more appealing than, say, the encyclopedia seller approach of most big brands or labels such as Y/Project, anyone telling me 'I swear there's something here for you, it's trendy and perfectly cut, if you just give me one more minute of your time!'.. bye.
 
^ That is the caveat with investors, as they can help provide a bit of extra stability but depending on what they're like, the demands can change the course of things to something that doesn't end up fitting with the ethos of the brand. Which I think is something Lutz holds very dear to himself. It is a very personal kind of operation, but it's still the kind of personal that doesn't take itself too seriously and has that very (as you say) raw whimsy to it. It's playful and charismatic to a level where the collections are a bit enigmatic.

He has the technical chops (can cut a mean Margiela-esque shoulder), and really is a rare contemporary that has lasted longer and through things that others haven't been able to survive. It is somewhat timeless, and also a bit gawky at the same time which is admirable compared to all the other trend based stuff that is constantly forced onto our eyes. Wouldn't say it is always the best but its always honest, witty and direct. Not many designers have that now, particularly honesty.
 
i never bought lutz clothes but admire his independence
 
I don´t think it is a question of lacking money, I think it is a question of lacking taste (as subjective as it is). I am sure you could give him endless resources...that he would insist on using that faded denim anyway.
 

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