For punk chaos, nihilistic tendencies and outspoken teenage spirit, look no further than KIDILL’s Fall/Winter 2023 collection, which debuted at Paris Fashion Week.
In the collection, titled “Enfant Terrible,” creative director Hiroaki Suiyasu draws on his love of films featuring a teenager who has lost his will—the kind of material produced by Harmony Korine, Danny Boyle, or Spike Jonze, who also made short documentary series. type projects that reflect teenage subculture, such as skateboarding.
Here, the collection comes to life as it focuses on the collaboration with DC Shoes. Also known in the ’90s for its skateboarding silhouettes — an almost comically padded and rounded design suitable for boarding — KIDILL now presents its take on a classic style that blends youth and adulthood. From tie-dyed military fabrics to those that appear to be ink-stained, the collaborative pairs are marked by KIDILL’s addition of spikes on the upper and a lace lock on the vamp.
It is the footwear that evokes the spirit of the entire collection, as KIDILL tries to explore that awkward transition from a rambunctious teenager to an adult. The outfit might be desperate and punk in its references, but look deeper and you’ll see that the execution is mature.
For example, layers of layers of printed silk on a lapel contrast in color but not print, while the addition of a badge-covered khaki jacket contrasts with the laid-back luxury that squirms underneath. There’s a sense of being at ease with yourself, which is reflected in the oversized (and ruffled) double denim set with the same print. An oversized dusty pink jersey hoodie is accented with soft silk bows and cotton ribbons that cascade down to the floor, leaning into a cotureified streetwear aesthetic, and the holes on a sweater that wouldn’t look out of place in a Nirvana music video are stitched with fine silver thread.
Swirly Dries Van Noten-esque prints are contrasted with frayed hems, while a rather formal long-cut floral shirt paired with puff sleeves is again contrasted with oversized checked trousers. Simply put, KIDILL FW23 is just as much for kids as it is for adults who say they’ve got their act together but rarely do.
Speaking about the collection, Suiyasu said, “I am saved like in the past by moving my hands as I want to adapt vintage clothes without a chorus. I can channel my frustrations into reality and imagination to shape a structure I ‘like’, a fact that will never change. Although ‘likes’ sometimes bind us, at the same time they bring freedom. What is safe for oneself is to be eternally connected to one’s ‘core’, which is pure and authentic. That’s the beauty of your own style. Whatever it’s name, the treatment on the update never stands still and never feels left out to dry to build a new counterpoint. ‘Enfants Terribles’ is KIDILLO’s instant statement.”
Check out the “Enfants Terrible” KIDILL FW23 collection in the gallery above. Stay tuned to Hypebeast for more Paris Fashion Week FW23 content as the days go by.
In other news, EGONlab. FW23 is full of nocturnal wonders.