In August of last year, Rushemy Botter and Lisi Herrebrugh became the new creative directors of Nina Ricci. For an 87-year-old couture house, the appointment of the young design duo was exciting — they were the finalists for the LVMH Prize for Young Designers and winners of the top design award at the Festival d’Hyères – but they had never designed womenswear before, let alone at a major fashion brand.

Despite their menswear background, the duo’s debut at Nina Ricci introduced a new kind of romanticism befitting the label’s legacy. Leaning heavily on tailoring and archival references, the Autumn/Winter 2019 collection featured light, couture-like constructions that drew from the shape of a parasol and the formation of bubble wrap. Voluminous suits intertwined with folds of organza, woollen outerwear was accented with over-shoulder wraps, and transparent squares of organza bubble wrap with ruffled trims formed into a top and a dress. The collection led with an immaculate black, white and nude palette that later welcomed shades of marigold, powder blue, and neon yellow.