Paris Fashion Week has officially begun and this time around, independent designers and fashion houses are presenting their menswear collections for the Spring/Summer 2023 season. During the previous cycle in Paris, Bianca Saunders produced her first runway show and this season, she returned to the Parisian runway and secured a spot as the first show to kick off the second day on the schedule. As a woman-led menswear brand, Saunders is known to explore the intersection between masculinity and femininity and she continues to explore that space with this new collection.
For the overarching concept, Saunders looked to her Jamaican heritage for inspiration, which led to the new collection being dubbed as “Hard Food”. The name refers to foods that are typically served as side dishes with a Jamaican meal. Before being prepared, the foods are perceived for their toughness, but the eating experience is the exact opposite. Saunders drew from that duality of external appearance and internal reality to design the new collection, while reworking design elements we’ve seen before to continue building the brand’s DNA.
Asymmetrical necklines returned on tank tops this season and Saunders also integrated a warped grid print, that was first introduced in her previous collection, into several different silhouettes – making them both technical signatures of the brand. Leaning into the “Hard Food” concept, the tailoring presents as both structured and relaxed. Two-piece silk sets are spread throughout the collection to add movement and lightness like a summer breeze.
At the brand’s core, elevating everyday pieces with thoughtful adjustments is a key value for Bianca Saunders. Details such as folds that create tension and draping, raised collars, and adjusted necklines reimagine basics to become wardrobe staples and speak to the brand’s experimental flair.
