Philipp Plein – Pre Spring/Summer 2016 Ready-To-Wear

Philipp Plein makes gobs of money off of his clothing and furniture designs. In 2014, he told The Wall Street Journal that those gobs equaled more than €250 million. And while impressive numbers like that are hard to achieve in this business, they’re not all that surprising. Plein’s work appeals to rich people. The kind who want people to know that they’re rich.

Yet while there is always a market for flaunt-worthy clothes, stealth wealth is trending upward. In response, Plein has said good-bye to some of the logos, opting to use his hexagon symbol in subtler ways, such as embroidered on the lace inset of a leather minidress. He’s also embracing the humorous side of loud dressing. “Fun luxury,” a rep called it.

This season’s look was inspired by the way contemporary art appropriates popular culture. Specifically, emoji. Digitized heart and smiley faces were printed on ladylike, bon ton shapes: a collared shirtdress, a rounded sleeve coat. Plein emblazoned bomber jackets with everything from Swarovski thumbs-up signs to smiley faces, and even bedazzled a pair of pumps with a Pac-Man. (The shoes had a retro-feeling, almost squared-off heel—a departure from Plein’s typically spikey stilettos.) Even the shawl collar of a leather blazer was covered in pixel-like studs. Nothing was too harsh or serious, which was the point. So for a good time, feel free to call Philipp Plein. And consider increasing your credit card limit, because these pieces can run well into the four figures.