Toronto-based designer brand Mr. Saturday presented their Spring/Summer 2023 collection titled "Sex & Politics: Shadow Play At Le Chat Noir" on June 25, 2022 with a live runway presentation on the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode's official Paris Fashion Week calendar. Helmed by 28 year old designer & founder Joey Gollish, Mr. Saturday is a brand rooted in exploring historical events and ephemera – focusing on nightlife and culture-shifting moments -- and connecting stories of the past with what's happening in the present. This season, Mr. Saturday showed at the National Archive Museum in Paris, with an official after party on the grounds immediately following the runway portion of the show.
 |
This season, Gollish explores the history and lasting global impact of European cabaret, particularly Le Chat Noir, Cabaret Voltaire, and other central figures in European Cabaret. While cabarets are commonly known as a platform for subversiveness and sexual liberation, it was also where political and cultural satire and commentary could freely flourish during the 1880's through the 1920's and was an original safe haven and meeting place for the LGBTQ+ community. The collection explores this corner of culture during this specific era, depicted in the form of cat graphics which plays on the cat & the frog/sex & politics reference.
 |
"Sex & Politics" features 38 ready-to-wear looks across both menswear and womenswear. Gollish mixes core brand styles & silhouettes reimagined for the Spring/Summer 2023 season with new ideas and avant-garde, one-of-one show looks. The brand incorporates the idea of shadowplay throughout the collection, with distinct fabric choices like sheer organza, poplin cotton, and loose merino knits. Shadowplay is also seen more plainly in the graphic artwork which appears & disappears across select pieces.
 |
Key ready-to-wear pieces include gently oversized, open-knit merino sweater top & bottom sets in checkerboard prints, an extra-sharp white padded leather moto jacket, a "boxer skirt" silhouette that plays on traditional boxer shorts, a cream wool bomber jacket with "Sex and Politics" themed cat graphics stitched along the back, silky-to-the-touch Tencel knit shirt and short sets in a range of neutral colorways, an oversized, black sheer organza button down shirt with matching shorts, and a slick, black velvet, double-breasted suit jacket and matching pant. The more avant-garde show looks this season were handsewn or specially created to help storytell around the subversiveness of the inspiration and collection. This includes leather harnesses and chaps, custom boxing gloves, jock straps printed with Mr. Saturday's classic "GOOD LUCK" slogan, and a camp-driven take on a classic European ballgown with an exposed backside to illustrate the sexual liberation that cabaret culture has come to unabashedly represent.
 |
Mr. Saturday also continues to expand their accessories offerings. This season, the brand debuts all new styles across sunglasses and handbags categories. For sunglasses, Mr. Saturday introduced a new style called the "Hugo" featuring an oversized, rounded eye shape handcrafted with Italian acetate and named after Cabaret Voltaire's founder Hugo Ball. New handbag styles were designed in collaboration with Canadian premium lifestyle brand Roots and include a black leather duffle bag with Mr. Saturday's classic "GOOD LUCK" slogan seen on embroidered patches, a black leather pouch style, a beige weekender bag complete with hand-painted cat graphics by Toronto artist Esther Liang. In addition to the handbags, Mr. Saturday collaborated with Roots on its range of bomber jackets which feature premium leather sleeves.
Mr. Saturday also teamed up with social commerce platform Basic.Space to create a range of ready-to-wear apparel and homeware – complete with cat graphics & slogans that tie back to the collection's themes. Available for guests to purchase at the "Sex & Politics" Paris afterparty and exclusively on Basic.Space's website, the collaboration includes a hat, a heavyweight cotton t-shirt, a limited-edition, made-to-order varsity jacket made in collaboration with Roots, and a woven linen show napkin.
© Mr. Saturday
Ph: Gregoire Avenel
