For her third collection, again a guest member of the official haute couture calendar, Hyun Mi Nielsen decided to listen to herself. That meant working mostly on her own, without even a stylist. Inspiration came from migration and magpies, those birds — or humans, for that matter — who collect shiny objects that might be passed over as refuse by the rest of the world.
Warding off any misinterpretation of the theme, she named the show “mensch”: Yiddish for someone of honor and decency.
The models paraded out, their strides hampered at times by flapping straps and long pant legs. There were bare feet, leather ankle bracelets lined with shells, and coats that billowed out behind.
Upcycling was part of the mission. Jean fabrics were patched up with pieces of black leather to make a long, body-hugging jacket dress. The sleeves covered the hands and straps dragged from the matching purse.
The lineup was engaging in the way one would expect from someone of her caliber, a Balenciaga veteran who also worked for Alexander McQueen and Givenchy. But it was also an arresting display of the beauty of movement.
A cropped, white vest was decorated with safety pins, cowry shells, bells and other trinkets —
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