Sometimes, information heard through the grapevine is the best. I learned about Maxime Simoens last year and wanted to see his work, but didn’t have time. This week, I made a point of seeing his collection because, as I’ve said before, I love discovering new talent. And although this was only Maxime’s third season, I think he has a big future ahead of him.

Maxime mounted a presentation at the recently-closed Maria Luisa boutique, which was a great place to show because it felt like he’d created his own boutique with clothes displayed on mannequins and live models. Maxime walked me through the collection, pointing out how he’d been inspired by Sofia Coppola’s film, The Virgin Suicides. I didn’t immediately see the connection, but Maxime explained his interpretation of a young girl’s awakening and conflicting feelings about becoming a woman. It sounds heavy–but the collection wasn’t heavy at all.

Maxime told the story this way–simple shorts and tops represented a little girl (a young look indeed), and the gradual introduction of sophisticated pieces mirrored her adolescent struggles. As an example, he pointed to a lovely white strapless dress–beautifully made, with jacquard detail–which the model wore with a t-shirt. Shown that way, it looked very young–but without the tee, it was a perfectly grown-up cocktail dress.

Maxime loves strech material, and he also loves mixing fabrics. I tried a black-and-white tweed jacket–fun and easy for day–that was shown on a mannequin as part of a suit. I wouldn’t wear the total look, but I would consider owning both pieces as separates: the jacket to wear with jeans (or anything, really) and the skirt perhaps to pair with a leather jacket. Maxime told me this outfit represents the transition from fille to femme.

The pièce de résistance was a beautiful gown in the window. Maxime called it “cherry blossoms,” and the handmade, sequin-like embroidery had the delicate sensibility of Japanese kimonos. It was interesting to hear how Maxime’s ideas and emotions made their way into the collection, but in the end it came down to one thing for me–I just liked the work!

Maxime is planning a more sophisticated presentation during the next Haute Couture, in January. I’m already looking forward to that!

Photographs by Marie Goujon and Arnaud Paumier