Mike Amiri is sporting a baseball cap with his brand’s logo on it during a Zoom call. Womenswear models in his resort 2023 lookbook wear the same hat pulled down over straight hair; that’s one way Amiri’s menswear business is seeping into his women’s. The other way is with its swagger.
After the brand’s womenswear relaunch several seasons ago, its collections erred precious, without the louche verve of his menswear. Things are starting to net out at Amiri HQ after the co-ed runway show the brand staged in LA this past February with Wes Lang. Now, women wear pants slung low, baggy and pooling at the ankles over cool shearling booties. Their cardigans are oversize and shaggy and their jackets come with adjustable zips and snaps at the side for maximum swooshing movement.
“The proportion between the tops and the bottoms this season is really a menswear silhouette,” says Amiri, “but it’s not about taking from menswear directly, it’s about making it her own.” The most exciting piece here is a cropped purple puffa, inspired by moto jackets and with all the bells and whistles of a classic Schott, shrunken into a bubble shape and worn with ultra-low-rise trousers. It’s as if the Miu Miu set—all about abs—took a punky, albeit covered-up turn. Is it a realistic or elegant look? Not exactly, but it is taking Mike Amiri somewhere new as far as shape, structure, and style are concerned. Let’s see where he goes from here.
