One thing that's made _J.L-A.L_ one of the most exciting new labels to come out of London is its constant knack for innovation. The designer, full name Jean-Luc Ambridge Lavelle, first made a splash thanks to his utilitarian and experimental outdoor wear that he posted on his Instagram page.
However, as it has developed into a fully-fledged fashion label over the past four years, it has started to explore new ground.
Its latest collection to be presented, FW24, sees its biggest evolution to date with new cutting-edge techniques and a huge variety of silhouettes on show.
Putting its spin on the typically uninspiring uniforms found worn by the corporate world, the lookbook is shot in a fictitious office. The placeless architecture of a corporate headquarters only puts further emphasis on _J.L-A.L_’s experiments with traditional menswear forms.
Typical office wear can be found across the collection with untypical details, such as its suiting with studded steel spheres or a striped shirt with a twisted wraparound collar.
These standard office-wear tropes, which build on the shirting found in its previous collection, are then contrasted with more utility-focused offerings.
Technical outerwear has long been a specialty of _J.L-A.L_ and this season the brand has worked together with the Italian mill Marzotto. The two have used an innovative technique to bond fine wool into a three-layer fabric that’s used for a range of jackets in the collection.
A more typical fabric for this style of outerwear to be created in, the collection also includes a GORE-TEX Pro jacket and trouser set created together with Goldwin alongside a matching jersey crewneck.
The expanded wardrobe on offer for FW24 sees _J.L-A.L_ not only continue to develop new clothing but also design its first in-house footwear.
Having previously collaborated with HOKA and ROA on hiking-inspired sneakers, the in-house-produced shoes are further evidence of the brand’s evolution. The Italian-made shoes include Chelsea boots (offered with the option of shiny fabric) and a heeled derby.
Subverting typical office wear is something we’ve seen many brands experimenting with recently. Earlier this season, Prada created its own fictitious office and sexed-up office clothing has been a trend on the runways.
_J.L-A.L_’s take on what it defines as “corporate absurdity through the precession of simulacra,” hits the sweet spot between form and function. This is not a new topic for the brand but the scale of this collection is bigger than what we've seen before from _J.L-A.L_.
