Icicle Atelier Spring 2027: Winds of Change

by · WWD
Icicle Atelier Spring 2027 Ready-to-Wear at Paris Fashion WeekCourtesy of Icicle Atelier

Though Icicle Atelier’s spring 2027 lineup was the last collection before Sabato de Sarno officially begins his tenure as creative director of the Paris- and Shanghai-based luxury fashion label, it held its own.

Filled with zingy color associations, a more decorative use of handcraft paired with a loosening of proportions and fit, its studied nonchalance read as a firm step outside the quiet luxury box this upscale line has been in since its debut in Paris in 2025.

The tailoring that Icicle’s upscale line is best known for came closer to the body but was softer, with trousers cut loose on the leg, jackets and coats in fluid summer weight materials. A silk-taffeta blouson hit the balance between sporty and smart, while nubby cheesecloth made shorts a touch less casual. Pleating and gathering helped create fluid skirts that skimmed and swung around the legs.

Knitwear also took a more experimental direction, with drop-waist dresses zhuzhed up by a wide 3D band at the hem. There were also handsome chunky grandpa cardigans. Handcrafts took a more decorative role, seen on the collar of lightweight blousons in a burst of petal-like elements or giving a long sleeveless shift dress a feathery texture. Colorwise, the palette of summer lights had touches of dark khaki green paired with purple, lilac with hot pink.

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The contrast was made all the more striking by the crafts-driven exhibition that guests early to the show could visit before taking their seats. Here, conventional tailored suits, sleek outerwear and minimalist dresses played a supporting role for heirloom materials such as gambiered Canton gauze, which the brand has been reviving for a decade. There were a few flourishes of red and checked patterns.

All in all, the spring lineup imagined by Bénédicte Laloux, womenswear artistic director since 2019 and now design director of the women’s show collection, primed a fresh direction, ready for wherever de Sarno, who sat in the front row alongside new Carven design director Kai Nesselrath, takes it next.

But a style shift isn’t the only thing that seemed to accelerate since Icicle received an investment from Kering earlier in April.

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On a plinth in the exhibition was Icicle’s first perfume line, in the works for a year. Inspired by the five elements of wood, fire, earth, metal and water, it will make its commercial debut next March and mark the Chinese brand’s first foray in fragrance.