In high spirits days before his fall show, Lamine Badian Kouyaté explained that his new collection looked back to go forward. “I even went back to my parents, all the education that I took from them, and my source of Africa,” said the Mali-born designer. “People there don’t like to throw things away, which I think is part of my inspiration and how I came to recycling stuff—it’s a part of my childhood, people that inspire me, and trying to draw a future with a mix of a lot of influences.”

 This extensive collection was like a greatest hits compilation, incorporating many of Kouyaté’s signatures including red-stitched Lycra, touches of fur, silk-screened denim, upcycled sports jerseys, and wax prints. Newness came from knits, made with a gigantic needle using fabric scraps, such as the lace skirt in look 9 and scarf-turned-dress (look 47). The same technique was used for the tunic (look 2) which, however, was extremely heavy. The patchworked, upcycled jeans (look 10) had legs that were five or more feet long, creating a slinky-like scrunch.  

 Kouyaté has always marched to his own drum (so have his models: they have carried boom boxes at guerilla shows staged around Paris), but you could find trends of the season here, like neons, lace, animal prints, and heritage fabrics both Western (tweed, plaid) and African (Bogolan). As always, the collection was centered on sustainable practices. “I’m trying to get back to the essence of funkin’ fashion—make it sexy, but even if you pick it from the trash [meaning: recycled fabrics] to keep that dignity of the product, make it high,” said Kouyaté.