Perret Schaad (Q8867)

This season, Johanna Perret and Tutia Schaad loosened up a bit. While in past collections the designers may have skewed too minimal or, conversely, relied too heavily on digital prints, they decided to shift their focus to lush textures for Fall ’17. They mixed abstract knits with suiting trousers, silk with a techy metal fabric, and velvet with just about everything. “Some people are disgusted by the feel of velvet!” Schaad said with a laugh. “But we like to play with that, if we aren’t sure if people will like it.”Chances are the label’s arty, sophisticated clientele will be all in. A lapis velvet turtleneck with straight gray trousers and pointy flats looked like something a gallerist or interior designer might wear to the office. Elsewhere, there was a louche, long-sleeved velvet gown; an emerald green velvet suit; and the most convincing case for skinny velvet pants we’ve seen yet. As for the bronze-y fabric shot through with metal, the effect was surprisingly soft and low-key—not robotic. Perrett and Schaad used it for a pair of slim trousers, then layered a lilac blouse and navy trench on top. The mix was attention-grabbing yet wearable. Some other Berlin designers have been playing it too safe with “elevated basics” and hard-core minimalism this week, going so far as putting a button-down and capris on the runway. Perrett and Schaad make the understated-yet-cool thing look easy, but they’ve gotten there by taking a few risks.