AMI Spring 2024 Collection is a Throwback to Seductive Minimalism

The year of quiet luxury rages on. French designer Alexandre Mattiussi’s AMI entered Paris Fashion Week with a tribute to minimalist fashion and the comfortable silhouettes of the 1990s.

Actor Vincent Cassel opened the show, walking the runway in a long, black overcoat, and an open pinstripe suit that revealed a fitted mesh top underneath. The coat’s square shoulders belied expert tailoring, but it otherwise had an oversized form that was matched by the roomy pants. Relaxed fits dominated the show, a nod to the era of Calvin Klein and Helmut Lang.

“I want to go back to the ’90s, when I fell in love with fashion—so the essentials and a real wardrobe,” Alexandre told Vogue.

AMI’s sleek collection is more curated than usual, favoring elevated basics that build a capsule wardrobe. Emphasizing versatility over splash, color is not much of a focus. Gray, black, and camel dominate the collection, though Alexandre occasionally adds in desaturated brightness with a trendy pea green and blush pink.

While most of the menswear settles on the suit as the basic—crawling out of the pandemic, it’s time to put away sweatpants and start dressing for the office again—knit sweaters, baggy henleys and plain tanks work for the weekend. Though the collection is mostly masculine, a feminine, Grecian wrap top sticks out of place. It forces the eye to travel towards the midriff, where a classically ’90s-style exposed belly button and low-ride waistline await.

That is just one of many styling moments that snuck sex appeal into the baggy collection. Shorts with tiny inseams and skirts with high slits showed skin on the runway. Loose ties communicated a casual, flirtatious tone. Oversized silhouettes might initially read conservative, but they slide off much faster than tight clothing.

 

While most of the key looks are chic and muted, AMI breaks away from its veneer of quiet luxury, which prioritizes muted, lux material over attention grabbing forms, with sequins and leather. One standout is a pair of bootcut denim pants with a bedazzled, mottled pattern. They ride too low to be mistaken for mom jeans, and miraculously pair well with one of AMI’s double breasted dusters and a white mesh tank. Sometimes, it’s fun to scream.

amiparis.com