“Well, we kind of liked this idea of New Age guys, kind of new hippies, maybe looking for spirituality,” said Christophe Lemaire, backstage with Sarah Linh-Tran, who has given birth since the Lemaire show in January.

There was some suggestion of this via the styling—sleeved shirts-over-longer jerseys, casual hooded tops worn with wider relaxed fit pants, and gua sha forks as pendant necklaces (multi-task your facial massage with your jewelry!). But doesn’t Lemaire usually signal this kind of vibe without even trying? A brand that is anathema to anything noisy, fussy, flashy, or trendy? And just imagine if there were actually a movement espousing a wardrobe of Lemaire among its tenets; its following would be assured.

Musings aside, this collection made clear that Lemaire is not an ascetic aesthetic. Constancy might be its calling card, yet this season felt more open and expressive—with color (soft grayish blue, darker rose, deep crimson, and the bright poppy red of a single bag), fabric (lace, definitely not a regular occurrence) and prints (nods to the estimable trio of Picabia, Tinguely, and Dalí—just not easy to make out from the runway).

The designers pushed the limits of their comfort zone with looks that showed a lot more leg: a great crinkled leather, knee-length skirt worn with a blazer and a pair of mesh sock-sandal heels, or else silky culottes that gave baggy drawers a sensual spin. Airy skirt panels flowing beneath parkas felt less intuitive, but also something a Parisian cool girl would be keen to try.

A live percussion performance by Valentina Magaletti gave the impression that everyone walking in this show (as always, admirably representational casting) had somewhere to be—especially the man and woman in near-identical denim outfits, their bolo ties swinging in sync. Lemaire noted that he and Tran wanted to make a collection that felt “awakened.” He explained, “We feel today, more than ever, we have to be awakened and vertical.” New Age or not, leave it to Lemaire to land on such an energizing idea.