I met Andrew Gn several years ago and ended up visiting him in his atelier, where we had a lovely chat and walked through his most recent collection. I remember buying an unusual coat from him, made of brown velour with a rather Victorian collar–and that laced-up, almost Gothic, sensibility seemed to be his theme again for Fall 2012 (with sexy, modern twists, of course). As I watched the défilé, it also became obvious that Andrew is a master when it comes to coats: this collection featured them in all shapes, sizes and lengths.

Andrew’s choice of venue–the Westin Hotel’s rather gloomy, 19th-century Salon Impérial–was moody and dark (and suggestive of Victorian heroines, perhaps); and many of the short coats chosen to open the show looked heavy or awkward, especially those with fur epaulettes. But these were followed by longer, more feminine designs, several of which I could imagine wearing.

Overall, this collection struck me as a somewhat commercial rendering of Gn’s aesthetic (as an avid client told me after the show, his designs are, at the least, consistent). But with the exception of a few gowns (including one that echoed the velour coat I bought years ago), this show didn’t wow me the way others have. That said, I’ll always want to see what Andrew does next!

Andrew Gn and Susan, backstage after the show

Photographs by Stéphane Israël