The Isabel Marant Look

There are some brands that can literally do no wrong. No matter what they create, their designs are flawless and manage to appeal to a broad audience. Inventive and always pushing boundaries, Isabel Marant has been one of my favourite fashion designers for a long time, and I wear her clothes as often as possible. From high-end looks and fancy occasions to everyday street wear, Isabel Marant makes looking good feel easy.

Isabel Marant has a unique sense of style and you can immediately identify her clothes as each collection has a unifying theme that is just so Marant. There are a few details about Marant’s design sense that gives her away and her pattern-making is one of them. 100% inimitable, each print is exclusive to her collections. Of course fashion labels will always find their way to reinterpret a little paisley here or a flower there, but the nothing ever comes close to her distinctive prints. She also has this rare ability to create a very functional and accessible design that lasts season upon season. I’m thinking specifically of that Nowles ankle boot she designed over 5 years ago. From her retro-tinged 80s athletic wear to her iconic Cray puffer, we can always look to Isabel Marant to see where fashion is headed.

It’s indubitable that fashion trends come in and out and back around again. But, Marant does something so special to her creations and this year is no exception. She is showing a lot of fringe and mesh in her knitwear as well as the acid wash denim look. She’s brought in big moments of metallic and has managed to find a way to give the cowboy boot a comeback (think Leider). The colour scheme this year is revitalizing the pastel: light pink with salmon, light yellow and baby blue. She has taken a palette that might seem hard to pair, but she makes it work with her fabric combinations: eyelet mohair sweater in light purple teamed with a corduroy peach skirt. Only Marant can make that work!

Launched in 1994, Isabel Marant has over 35 stores worldwide. You can shop her collection online or at local retailers (like TNT in Montreal). I’m more of an in-store kind of shopper, and you will most certainly find me sifting through Marant racks in anticipation of Fashion Week.

Photography by Patricia Brochu