Spoiler alert: no speedos appear in Lazoschmidl’s fall 2024 collection. That’s not to say it’s not a seductive lineup, but it feels like a coming-of-age moment for the brand given the polish, attention to detail, and more “dressed” designs. Though there’s some irony in that, as Josef Lazo and Andreas Schmidl actually cycled back to their very first season and asked themselves, “where are we now and how would we approach [that collection] today?”
The brand’s debut, explained Schmidl on a call, consisted of six looks and “was based on artists’ obsession with body liquids.” Those excretions reappear for fall 2024 in somewhat abstract shapes as brooches. This season the two designers were focused on the artists who most inspire them—Paul McCarthy, Joseph Beuys, and Gilbert and George, among them—and the figure/uniform of the burgeoning artist, which allowed space for some Moulin Rouge-like tatiness. So the lookbook opens with an imagined grandpa, in a check fabric, with snaps instead of buttons, and a small burgundy whip-stitched repair patch that nods to Beuys. More dramatic is a hand-worked red cotton twill coat over-dyed in burgundy, and distressed, bleached, and hand-embroidered. “Grass-stained” jeans are also bedazzled.
The most polished, and coordinating looks for fall are wool check pants with matching shirts. Surprisingly classic, save for the floating but functional pocket, these looks serve as the brand’s alterna-suits. On the other end of the spectrum is Lazoshmidl’s first skirt, a raw-hemmed mini. To painter’s overalls ruffles are added, making the garment club ready. A silver lurex tracksuit is surprisingly subtle, and the addition of ski-style underlayers, a navy jersey cardigan, and leggings continues that athleisure vibe.
It wouldn’t be a Lazoschmidl show without a quip. Schmidl created the mushroom images using AI and paired them with the phrase, “Taste the forbidden fruit,” which, explained Schmidl, “was the first comment we gave when we were asked, ‘How would you describe your brand?’ back in Stockholm.” For those curious about the printed hoodies, Sildenafil is a medication used in Viagra and Dronabinol treats nausea. “We are not promoting anything, we are commenting on society,” noted Schmidl.
This duo broke many taboos around sexuality and it became trendy to do so. “Everyone is throwing out a Speedo or a half-naked look, so we’re doing the opposite right now,” said Lazo. “But I think the nerd was always hidden in between the looks of previous seasons. We always liked the guy who was at school and turned out to be the sexy one 10 years later. The guy who plays with Lego and does chemistry experiments,” added Schmidl. Geeks, take heed.
