Latimmier Copenhagen Fall 2023 Collection

Time is arguably the rarest commodity in life—and fashion. Within the first several hours of Copenhagen Fashion Week, two designers suggested that having more time resulted in better work. One of them was Irvin Latimer, the young Finnish-American designer who presented his well-received collection as part of the CPHFW New Talent program. That he was able to return to this season wasn’t a given, though.

When Latimer made his debut at Pitti Uomo he emceed the show in drag as his alter ego Anna Conda. This time around, he introduced the collection, and described each look, as himself. “I realized I wanted to talk to the audience. And I wanted to have this vibe, almost like a fitting in a studio, where it’s really relaxed, really slow, really intimate—but then you realize all of the people are there. We made the set super-intimate, so truly, I could almost reach out and poke someone in the audience, so you’re really, really exposed.”
With guests seated on Alvar Aalto chairs at the Finnish Culture Institute in Denmark, the designer picked up his microphone and addressed the crowd: “The key thing that I want to say about this collection is that three months ago, I wasn’t sure if we could even make a new collection. I had a burnout because, as most of us know, it is so hard to work in this industry, especially with limited resources. I’m very proud that I can show you guys a collection today, but I also made this collection as an homage to all of the young and upcoming designers out there who may be struggling, who maybe aren’t sure if they can make it. So if you’re here today or if you’re watching this live-stream, or if you’re watching this afterwards: I hear you. I see you. And this one is for you particularly.”

This generous and emotional speech gave way to a collection of one-off and made-to-measure pieces produced with a thoughtfulness that really did make the future look brighter. Latimer built his brand to engage with “the performance of masculinities,” but he doesn’t feel the need to always be in the spotlight. This season he collaborated with the Helsinki-based Swiss-Haitian artist Sasha Huber. Her “Drawn to Music” series inspired the sculptures (wrapped in scrap fabric) that were held, shield-like, by some of the models. Huber’s work was also printed on clothes, but only after they were fully constructed in order to honor the two-dimensionality of the art, the designer explained.

The show opened with a bit of kink: a white shirt, a tie finished with a cock ring, and extended sock garters. Several of the guests were wearing Latimmier face sweaters, and the white one with hand crochet in the style applied on the bags, looked like a winner. Also in this soft category was an intricate crochet top paired with a pair of trousers with an inset stripe and a slit at the knees.

In the end, though, this was mostly a show about subversive tailoring. A royal-blue look featured a trim and precise coat. The body of an oversized suit was created by bonding upcycled materials, and pinstripes were subverted into a one-legged skirt-pant. All in all a confident showing from a designer who clearly saw, and shared, the light he found having traveled through the darkness.