Amidst the more familiar photographs of Blank Generation-era Richard Hell and young men in mosh pits on Nicolas De Felice’s Courrèges moodboard are the photographs of Gianni Piacentino, an Italian artist of the 1970s, painting motorcycles and motorcycle gear. When clicking on these images, there are both direct and abstract references to the artist. A streamlined leather jacket, embroidered in capital letters down the sleeves, lifted from one of Piacentino’s own jackets; It’s rare to see a logo here, but De Felice has earned it. The leather harness strap accenting the Sacred Bag (and the metal hardware of the Stamped Python Dress, for example) is a functional detail that gearheads of all types will appreciate; The best part is that it’s adjustable—big enough for a helmet, say, and small enough for a slightly ribbed knit Courrège sweater.
Being a bike lover, Piacentino’s work often involves wheels and circles – and circles are where his work and the work of André Courrèges overlap. De Felice, who briefly rode a Suzuki XR SL when he moved from Belgium to Paris to work at Balenciaga, has already proven himself adept with the geometry of Courage, but he’s looking to raise the bar. Live. He points to the side seam of a short slip dress to show that the circular element is not merely decorative – he has used the full shape. The same is true for other pieces, like the A-line skirt and the short top with illusion net shoulders. A luxurious shirt is designed in such a way that one sleeve, with the adjustment of a few buttons, can alternatively be worn as a scarf, and the season’s strong outerwear enhances those experiments, with striking asymmetrical lapels. And there are collar details.
Now that she’s more comfortable and confident handling the house rules, De Felice is focusing on taking things forward. She never used that lace you see on the top going out with a convenient pocket for your keys on the sleeve; Ditto the slinky hot-fix crystal mesh she cut into a skin-tight dress. It almost looks like chainmail. He certifies multiple fabric tests to get the details right and he promises more surprises at the Fall 2025 show in March.
