Eytys’ Eurotrash T-shirt spring 2023 traveled a lot of kilometers last year. It was something of a portable meme, drawing on the same kitschy tabloid glamor that Balenciaga used for his LA show. For the fall 2024 collection, Max Schiller, Eytys’ millennial creative director, looked back to the late ’80s and early ’90s – fashion’s current sweet spot – and romanticized the Concorde and its high-flying clientele. Part of Schiller and his team’s research included looking at the airport style of the era; they also took great pains to imagine the social mix aboard the commercial aircraft that carried contemporary private jet customers. It used to be that you could find supermodels and suits, rock stars and real estate honchos on board.
As is the Eytys way, this translated into a high/low mix, only this time with more polish and purpose. The tailored jackets and coats used heavy wool, giving them a luxurious feel, and the dense stretch knit really emphasized the women’s bodycon silhouette. Considering the time period the team was looking at, that’s not a surprise That of Wall Street Gordon Gekko was a reference, but in an ingenious way the trousers and pleated track pants in the collection are closely linked, and that dichotomy between work and leisure is where fashion finds itself at the moment. Continuing the flying theme, there’s a chic pull-through puffer that Schiller calls the “travel pillow”; two pairs of foldable shoes, the ballerina and the Aero sneaker; and travel T-shirts. The red circle of the Japanese flag also appears on one tee that says Stockholm. It was inspired by the idea “of supermodels traveling to three continents and six cities in one week, and ultimately having no idea where they are. They are so blasé.”
The hero piece of the collection is a trompe l’oeil stone-washed jeans on which metal studs in different sizes have been applied to create the look of patina. A related piece in the collection is the button-down with all-over transparent sequins with a business, not casual, look. Schiller had been thinking about the rise of the yuppies, and the “age of decadence” they ushered in, in relation to today.
“I think we’re living in a decade of decadence now,” he continued, “but unlike now, the decadence of the ’80s looks and feels so much more stylish.” The creative director also appreciated the chicness of the time. “I think we’re at a point where flying has been so democratized in many ways that you dress up to travel, and I remember a time when you dressed to travel. I missed that.” With options for both approaches, this collection makes a smooth landing.
