Inside 1199's Debut Runway Show
Our first-person report on the Paris Fashion Week standout
This Paris Fashion Week, we attended 1199’s debut runway show. We’ve been following along with the brand for some time, so this was a special one for us.
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It was entirely self-funded, and one of our favorite collections we saw all week. See the full set of looks on their Instagram. Read on for the first-hand experience of Welcome’s founder.
This is maybe more personal than objective but for me the show was like watching your son graduate, the extreme pride for what they’ve been able to accomplish.
What 1199 is doing so well is something that a lot of brands are missing the mark on: creating clothing that people actually want to wear. Specifically the current generation of, say, 16 to 28-year-olds. I feel like that’s the comment I hear the most from everyone: the clothing is actually wearable on a daily basis, whether it’s the jeans or the footwear or the jackets
That is why every rapper wants to be seeded their clothing, because they’re actually making what this generation is looking for, and no one else is providing. I like how they don’t try to appease the Instagram algorithm by making things that are just good for engagement. They’re making things that are good for the body.
This collection is really personal to them. “Homework/Graduation,” the collection title, has several meanings, but one of them refers to the Daft Punk and Kanye albums. These projects had a huge influence on 1199, and reflect the sort of “French touch” and rap intersection that a lot of their style exists in.
You see that in the collection, with the references to their French heritage (the Eiffel Tower is on one piece) but also nods to American culture with the stars and fringes. In more subtle ways too, like the use of corduroy and knitwear (which they say is inspired by their grandmothers), coupled with raw denim.
But really this collection is about proving that they’re students of the game, who have put the study time in and are now ready to step up to the plate themselves. These guys met living in Hong Kong and have been immersed in the fashion world forever. Most people don’t know this, but Bazo actually used to own an archive store.
For that reason, the references in this collection are super apparent. They’re paying homage to what got them here, showing their notes, like homework. Because they’re coming from outside the normal industry channels, this is especially important. It’s like they have to prove themselves.
You can definitely tell Hedi Slimane is a big reference, especially for the jeans, specifically his Dior and Saint Laurent eras. For the footwear, a huge reference is Visim with all the fringes, whether it’s on these high-top sneakers or the Birkenstock-style shoe.
But it’s also “graduation”: they’re ready to go beyond the references. They funded this entire show themselves by selling bracelets and bootleg Uggs, but they’re not just some streetwear brand, Instagram designers. They’re doing full scale runway shows, and despite the core references there are actually new silhouettes in the collection we haven’t seen before.
The show’s finale was amazing. All the models came out in white-out versions of their looks, and white confetti fell from the ceiling. Pz’, Che, Tezzus, and many more were walking in the show. It was beautiful.
They took a big risk, funded their own show, no backing, no nothing. I think that in itself is also very beautiful. I personally believe they’re going to be one of the greats of our generation.
For more background on 1199, read our interview with their founders from last year
The 1199 Interview
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