SPACE designer Etienne Deroeux lives near one of Paris's biggest mosques and backstage after his show he told us that ever since the recent attacks, it's been hard to think of anything other than unrest and strife. But one of history's most compelling female pioneers helped him channel the energy he needed for his Fall 2016 collection.

Etienne easily cited Amelia Earhart's major accomplishments-she was the first woman to fly across the Atlantic, you'll recall-but his face lit up and his voice came alive when he spoke about how she always brought a silk scarf or a racy belt to the cockpit. She embellished her uniform; she gave the utilitarian a sense of flair.

Acknowledging the reality of our world while also layering on some of the aviator's beauty and style as an attempt to rise above the dreariness of world politics, Etienne used military details, extra zippers, lots of straps and oversized, almost parachute-like silhouettes (even with knits) to craft a wardrobe of silk, leather and otherwise delicate-but-tough elements.

As his models walked through a tangle of decadent second-story rooms off Place Vendome, tracks by Switzerland's Buvette gave them a cadence and rhythm. (One imagines that the neutral, peaceful nature of the band's homebase must have resonated with Etienne.)

Here's how that sounded:

http://blogs.nordstrom.com/fashion/files/2016/03/BUVETTE.m4a

Amid overt allusions to a soldier's life (see the bomber above) were soft, ingenious touches-some of them from his styling team. A knotted earring-like hair adornment in particular caught Olivia's eye once we were backstage.

Etienne is soft-spoken and boyishly pretty; even if he hadn't told us about his raw and very real inspiration, I would have sensed that he's keenly tuned-in to the world and all it's soft and hard ups and downs. It's this perceptive, insightful eye that makes him such a talented designer season after season, and this dedication to beauty that allows him-and his clothes-to rise above.

SHOP: current season Etienne Deroeux

-Laura Cassidy