Tim Coppens makes his Europe debut at Pitti Uomo

Tim Coppens chose to unveil his autumn/winter 2017-18 collection with an apocalyptic atmosphere that nuanced the end of the world.

Inside the old Hippodrome building in Florence, this edition's guest of honour at the menswear tradeshow Pitti Uomo translated his own return to Europe in his January 11 runway show, evoking a young New Yorker and motor cross fan named Max, in reference to the film 'Mad Max', who travels for the first time to Europe, where he meets the young rebel Tequila accompanied by a white horse.

A graduate from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Anvers in 1998, the Belgian designer, who since June 2016 has held the role of creative director for Under Armour Sportswear, has chosen to live in New York, where in 2011 he founded his ready-to-wear brand and shows his collections seasonally.

"This is the first time I have put on a runway show in Europe; somewhere I am not yet that well known or distributed," explained the 41-year-old designer, who claims to have some fifty multibrand customer accounts, mainly in the United States and Asia.

"Participating in Pitt Uomo is a great opportunity for me, to be able to explain the essence of my brand," he continued.

To better express this message, after the show Tim Coppens organised on site an after-party with videos and music, during which a book -- focusing on the collection and its inspiration -- was presented.

The label is produced entirely in Europe, namely in Italy and Portugal. The Tim Coppens brand offers a silhouette angled primarily on the masculine wardrobe. A type of luxury sportswear, draped in details.

"There are sportswear elements, but it's not a sports line. I mix technical fabrics with more classic cuts," adds Coppens.

This season, models wore biker boots with thick soles and hid their eyes behind extra-wide glasses of cyclists. Tweed jackets came worn over pants that appeared to mimic tracksuits. Sleeves in khaki technical fabrics were grafted on tartan vests with large waterproof pockets, the jackets adorned with large furry collars.

The word "Acid" read emblazoned on the sleeve of a wool knit, as well as sleeves in wool that fell long. A yellow maxi dress came cut with thin straps, worn with woollen sleeves to look like glamorous gloves.

Making up part of his collections for three years now, Coppens' womenswear doubled this season, the designer wishing to enlarge his offering for this segment.

'The womenswear is still a continuation of the men's, with silhouettes that look almost similar, but this time there are more pieces. The offer is more complete, with dresses, skirts and mesh. The line is destined to grow and is being manufactured by a new partner, the Italian manufacturer Pier, which specialises in high-end garments," said Coppens.

Tim Coppens makes his Europe debut at Pitti Uomo

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