Style & Design
Originally published on Friday, 19th September 2008
Neurotica
A packed crowd sat on the whitewashed Edwardian bench or stood with their champagne next to fake grass and croquet equipment. The live music started and the four hard working models showed the first outfits, working the room and the clothes. In spite of the underlying menace in the programme notes this was a charming collection for grown up girls who like unfussy, pretty but never saccharine pieces.
The simple cardigan over a softly pleated skirt, the bib dress with a jersey t shirt, the spiders web print top or the neat and flattering shorts all spelt wearable and understated. The fabrics and prints were never too loud or overscale, adding to the collections strength rather than overpowering it. Yet these are in many ways the most difficult clothes to design and certainly the most difficult to describe since they vanish if over analysed in every detail; they simply work in their charm and the cleverness of the designer. Timeless and yet perhaps with a hint of the 50's the collection should keep many buyers and customers happy. It certainly made the crowd happy.
