Just as people are left- or right-handed, some brands tend more toward fall, others to spring. Arnar Már Jónsson and Luke Stevens’s Ranra tends to the former. “Primarily our focus is always on outerwear and dressing for colder climates,” observed Stevens, “and we really wanted to strip all of that back this season and really be able to propose a much more summer-ready wardrobe, but still with all of the same approaches.” To that end the designers revisited silhouettes from their strong and beautifully colorful autumn line and reworked them in light and “breathable” materials. The more subdued palette was balanced out by the iridescence and textures of the fabrics. Some, like a nylon with a pile-like feel, were developed specifically by the brand.
Ranra’s USP is the ability to create elegant pieces that are also functional and fabric-forward. There is a wonderful delicacy and subtlety to Jónsson and Stevens’s work which is visible in the scoop-neck over-vests, or the harmony of three different reds in one outfit. For spring, the duo propose a zip-front jacket and double-pleated pants as an alternative to a track suit. Shirts, shorts, and pants rounded out the offering.
Many of the pieces felt like they were in the spirit of early Giorgio Armani. References to the late Italian designer were prevalent this season, but Jónsson and Stevens have always cited Armani as an influence. “The way that sportswear was integrated into an everyday wardrobe in that era is something that we always come back to,” Stevens said. “The idea that performance doesn’t need to look like athleisure or it doesn’t need to look like what we conceive performance to be today…. Ease and functionality was really interwoven into all of those kinds of ’80s references.
Those qualities are also present in this collection, but it was somewhat repetitive and left one hungering for the the excitement created by last season’s infusion of color. Interestingly, the Icelandic horses that inspired spring’s accessories, have five, rather than the usual four gaits. It’s clear that Jónsson and Stevens are moving thoughtfully forward at their own pace, and there is a place in fashion for that approach.
