Les I ncompé t en t s ’s AW17 co l l ec t i on
presen t s t he evo l u t i on o f a young man
de t ermi ned t o make h i s ascens i on i n
soc i e t y. En t hus i as t i c and somewha t na ï ve ,
bu t f i l l ed wi t h good i n t en t i ons , he wi shes t o
con t r i bu t e t o h i s soc i e t y.
Ta i l ored garmen t s , and gener i c
grad i en t s o f grey and be i ge a l l ow h im t o f i t
i n t o t he masses . A f unc t i ona l a t t i re , odd l y
pa i red wi t h h i s you t h f u l na t ure , represen t s
t he new genera t i on o f youngs t er s wi t h i n t he
Par i s i an wor k i ng c l ass . Soc i e t y ’s agenda ,
h i gh l y dr i ven by t he amass i ng o f wea l t h
and consump t i on , has no room or t ime f or
t h i s young sou l ’s purer asp i ra t i ons . These ,
soar f ar beyond h i s na t i on ’s l imi t a t i ons ;
des i gned t o breed , mi l k , and make mea t
o f i t s c i t i zens , I ron i ca l l y, t h i s i s a l so how
soc i e t y makes use o f i t s cows .
AW 17
The young man rea l i zes t h i s , and
seeks o t her a l t erna t i ves t o ge t t i ng ou t h i s
dreams . He t urns t o t he s t ree t s , t he ghe t t o ,
h i s peop l e . He d i sposes o f h i s f orma l
garbs and gear s up f or t he co l d s t ree t s .
Heavy woo l , bu l ky den im, and l i gh twe i gh t
spor t swear a l l ow h im t o manoeuver and
make movemen t s t hrough h i s conc re t e
j ung l e . Some t h i ng i s beg i nn i ng t o sh i f t i n
h im, he has become s t ronger, organ i zed
and more f ocused . He has f ound purpose .
No l onger i s he dependen t or
comp l i an t t o h i s soc i e t y. I t prov i des h im wi t h
t he necessar y f reedom t o spread h i s wi ngs
and embrace h i s ca l l i ng . Above soc i e t y ’s
cons t ra i n t s and c r i t i c i sms , he embod i es t he
sac red cow. Bl ack , rad i an t , ornamen t ed and
br i l l i an t l y f ear l ess . Hi s ex i s t ence i nsp i res
a sen t i en t revo l u t i on . Th i s i s t he s t or y o f
t he anoma l y ; t he cow i n t he s l augh t erhouse
t ha t wa l ked ou t t he f ron t door.
