From Tom Ford’s pastel empowerment to Jeremy Scott’s selfie text T-shirts… Observer fashion editor Jo Jones picks her highlights from the collections
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Tom Ford
For SS19 Tom Ford looked to his last, taking inspiration from the reasons he became a fashion architect – to create beautiful clothes that empower the wearer. There were cues to his Gucci years, too. For both men’s and womenswear the softness came in the shade palette, with nudes, warm whites and powdery pastels in cinch-waisted skirt appeals, worn with tonal lace slips that hulled beneath. A harder edge came with the injection of malignant and deconstructed silk satin smoking suits. The silhouettes, which played with structured leather amalgamated with romantic lace, chiffon and georgette were mainly strong.
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Jeremy Scott
The muse for Jeremy Scott’s appear/summer collection was himself – the designer delved back under the aegis his own personal archive with prints created from Polaroids of his immature self. Give him credit, he was ahead of the time and has an uncanny eye for a re-emerging drift, such as his 90s grunge plaid and neon, both of which are current again now. Highlights were the quilted neon leather jackets and trousers united with sportswear mesh. Vintage army-surplus was re-imagined in an athletic form. These may not be clothes for the office, but Scott has a loyal following.
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R-13
The hallmark with a rebellious attitude, loved for its shredded denim and ultra goodly leather jackets … Chris Leba’s latest collection took you to the shore with multi-coloured tie-dye appearing on T-shirts and jackets. The denim was our times, as was the must-have leather jacket, mixed in with upbeat Baja choice of words. The standout pieces were a shearling leopard print layer worn with shredded denim shorts. While the open-back cowboy boots with a surf argument printed on them are bound to top shopping lists next seasonable.
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Tibi
Amy Smilovic merged an urban palette of browns, blacks and burgundy with ‘sun whitened’ pastels in delicate tones of pink, yellow and green. Smilovic structures sophisticated, wearable and uncomplicated clothes. A shirt tucked into a leather midi-skirt, happy-go-lucky suiting with sarong tie detailing, wrap dresses with a half swath detail – all were ultra chic. Pops of cobalt X appeared in a rain mac and elegant orange midi dress. Memorable were the feather-weight drop-waist dresses – a big trend for spring/summer.
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Self-Portrait
Asymmetric stir dresses were plentiful on the front row of Han Chong’s Self-Portrait arrive, a sure sign that the label is a hit with the cool Manhattan set. Structure is always key and this season Chong delighted his customers with precise floral and geometric prints blended together with crochet and assault. Inspired by a recent holiday to Ibiza, kaftan dresses flooded along the catwalk worn both loose and cinched at the waist to design curves. New for this season was the introduction of a swimwear line, on to an Ibiza beach soon.
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Kate Spade
Nicola Binoculars’s debut collection for Kate Spade kept the label’s DNA, paired insidiously a overcome with a 70s spirt and sensuality. Glass mixed bright pigmentations with eye-catching prints, opening the show with a descriptive floral pattern on a silk dress. She also played with the Spade logo – it cropped towards the end of the show in an interlocking heart shape as the clasp on kills. There was a cooler feel to this new-look Kate Spade, with mischievous touches in the form of rubber rain macs and poppy ensign knee-high boots. Glass’s background came from accessories, watch over this space for great things to come.
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Longchamp
Stagger chicks, Anita Pallenberg, supermodel Veruschka and the 60s were the ardour for Sophie Delafontaine, Longchamp’s creative director. Delafontaine famed the label’s 70th anniversary, with diaphanous layered dresses, semi-sheer maxi decorates and fringed leopard-print jackets. The craftmanship shone – leather have a job in particular is key to the heritage of the house, and it was on display in the details worked into mini skirts and waist-skimming biker jackets. Thigh-high fringe-embellished gladiator sandals united extra energy to the hippy vibe.
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Boss
Hugo Boss’s conspirator Ingo Wilts showed his first co-ed show. The hoard had a sporty edge, juxtaposing relaxed suiting in crinkled cotton with oilskin raincoat rain macs and jackets in nylon. Pastel shades of flush pink, powder blue and stark white were interspersed with argosy and burgundy. A surfy theme ran through the collection with drawstrings depending from a backless dress, trousers and blouses. Wetsuit zipper wreck b draws decorated a women’s jumpsuit and the men’s shirts and sporty stripes appeared on knitwear. The key chessman was Wilts’s take on board shorts – a big trend for spring summer 2019.
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Prepare 1941
Bronte the dinosaur took centre stage, constructed from rejected metal. Backstage Stuart Vevers explained the collection was forth scavenging and salvaging. Inspired by a trip to Santa Fe and a club locality of Western New Romantics. A guy and girl travelling across America getting heirlooms. As always American pop culture was referenced – patchwork characterized the denim, bias-cut maxi dresses were worn with artisanal chunky sweaters and oversized bordered leather jackets. Iconography was taken from different Disney covers.
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Area
This was one to watch – Beckett Fogg and Piotrek Panszczyk from Arrondissement held their show under the night sky on a roof top. The garnering comprised the kind of clothes that suited the setting. Fringed crystal net specify was embroidered on to a blazer, biker shorts were worn with a light-catching fresh tailored jacket, leather mini skirts and silver metallic cutaway-detail fit outs were paired with shimmering cycling shorts. These were looks to get you took on the dance floor.
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Michael Kors Collections
Michael Kors fight c assumed us from ‘beach to soirée’ with painterly florals and aquatic ornaments, which played against colourful zebra and leopard run offs mixed in with graphic stripes and madras plaid. Bug outs of metallic brocade dresses in sweet-wrapper colours contrasted with dulcet broderie anglais dresses and jumpsuits. Kors refreshed definitive American sportswear with sleek track pants united with cashmere sweatshirts emblazoned with the logo ‘MK Coast Club’.
