Officine Generale, a modern French brand, showcased its latest collection of classic tailored designs for men and women in a grand, column-lined courtyard in the famed Marais neighbourhood of Paris. Crisp poplin shirts and relaxed, pleated trousers with matching blazers were sent down a cobblestone runway.
A breeze tugged at the looser styles of the models as they marched in a straight line, sending the tails of silk scarves into the air and providing drama to the evening presentation.
"I think when you put on a pair of white jeans with a black sweater and pair of sandals, you might perhaps be closer to the French dream than some of the extravagance we see," said designer Pierre Maheo. "You can't just have things that are all over the place on the podium."
The brand, which Maheo founded ten years ago, has been steadily gaining a devoted following and has just joined a wave of French companies opening outlets in the United States. Among them is Ami, which this week had a display at the foot of the Sacre-Coeur Basilica.
Officine Generale is a fixture on the Paris Fashion Week calendar noted for more intimate crowds, in contrast to the celebrity-packed shows from big labels like Louis Vuitton, who flew in a marching band from Florida to play at the Louvre.