Serbian-born Dušan Paunovic is one among trend’s finest stored secrets and techniques, a uncommon under-the-radar fowl that has up to now shied away from publicity on social media and elsewhere, is detached to catwalks, hates logos, and has been discreetly sending out his eponymous collections for 25 years from a studio in Milan situated in a classy modernist constructing, hidden from view by a tall iron gate. His clientele is the crème de la crème of top-notch worldwide retailers most trend designers solely dream of promoting to; he’s the darling of a personal community of discerning society girls and their daughters who, as pedigreed Milanese do, scrupulously conceal their wealth, believing that flaunting it will be a sort of despicable insensitivity.

Earlier than launching his personal unbiased line in 1999, Paunovic labored for six years as Zoran Ladicorbic’s proper hand. A trend determine of now legendary standing, Zoran might be credited as being an ante litteram proponent of luxurious, costly, androgynous minimalism—the Olsen twins owe his affect an enormous debt of gratitude : with out Zoran, The Row couldn’t have existed. “I contemplate myself to be his legit inheritor,” mentioned Paunovic, solely half-joking.

Listening to him speak about his expertise with the reclusive, opinionated Zoran is fascinating, because it opens doorways to a first-hand testimony and narration of American and worldwide trend from the ’70s onward. Earlier than decamping to Milan, Zoran opened his first New York atelier in 1975, mingling with the likes of Halston and the Studio 54 set. He closed it down in 2010, mysteriously disappearing from view. “Nobody is aware of the place he’s, not even his closest shoppers and pals know his whereabouts,” mentioned the equally mysterious Paunovic. His line is a trustworthy continuation of Zoran’s ideas of stripped-down excessive fashion, “as a result of I imagine that his imaginative and prescient must be preserved. It’s fashion and never trend; it’s inconceivable to be copied, as a result of it’s based mostly on refined secrets and techniques that no person is aware of.”

The autumn assortment celebrating Paunovic’s 25-years profession was solely barely completely different to people who preceded it. He has unfalteringly riffed on the identical inventive ethos his complete life, and he’s not going to take any simpler detour anytime quickly; he simply retains barely adjusting some proportions, lengthening or shortening the hems of his fabulous coats in a uncommon albino shade of camel hair, or altering simply so how a pair of vicuña trousers sit on the hips. No skirts or attire have ever had a spot in his collections; brilliant colours are anathema. This season for the primary time in years he cautiously launched an unstructured double-breasted blazer, and added a shade of peacock blue-green that seemed resplendent on an ensemble in silk taffeta—as his household title in Serbian truly means peacock, it appeared an applicable approach to break the ice of chromatic taboos. Paunovic additionally doesn’t compromise on the stellar high quality of the materials he bases his designs on, as a result of “the extra shapes and features are pure, the extra materials will need to have the appropriate cadence.”

The one concession to frivolity (so to talk) was elongated shirts impressed by Russian rubashkas worn together with his signature fluid, ample trousers, or night pantsuits in heavy slate grey silk satin so extremely liquid, it appears like melting mercury. Paunovic revels in not being stylish, a time period he abhors; he desires to remain area of interest and much from the madding crowd. He’s unfazed by celebrities, and doesn’t endorse or costume any model ambassador. Like his grasp Zoran, he’s a contrarian, and doesn’t mince phrases about his beliefs. “I costume a distinct segment of girls huge trend conglomerates aren’t desirous about—however these girls curiosity me an ideal deal,” he mentioned. “The extra individuals there are who speak concerning the Kardashians, the extra individuals there’ll be who don’t wish to learn about them.”