Emilia Wickstead Fall 2021 London Fashion Week
Cinematic Licence: Emilia Wickstead‘s Heroines Ooze Inner Strength in a Collection that is Subtle yet Ingenious in its Tailoring.
Image and Video Credit: Emilia Wickstead
We anticipated a very grown-up offering from the queen of modern ladylike aesthetic and my oh my, how gratifying was this collection!
https://londonfashionweek.co.uk/designers/emilia-wickstead
Ode to a Greek goddess: a standout piece from the collection: an opulent gold brocade wrapover dress
Right from the outset the passion-evoking Schiaparelli-pink stage and suspenseful Hitchcock-esque music promised something rather sensational, which, like the very best of theatre, unfolded bit by bit and in an orderly fashion.
There’s much theatre in this full length voluminous skirt and shirt ensemble
A black duchess satin dress with matching opera gloves
Reminiscent of the Italian vintage cinematography (Teorema, 1968, Rear Window, 1954 and I Am In Love, 2009) that evidently inspired the collection, our heroines – hair slicked back, mysteriously cool and collected, were dressed with a sense of purpose and simplicity in sumptuously luxe fabics: wool gaberdine, jersey, duchess satin & soft flanella.
In the mind’s eye one visualises an uber elegant Milanese bella donna, looking arrestingly beautiful in a sculptured tailored suit and cape – her bare midriff covered (for the moment), traversing the old town centre on foot to meet an illicit lover for lunch.
A pale blue cape suit marries drama and practicalit
Painterly Delft roses on a white background
The collection, like a film, revealed various facets of the lives of Emilia Wickstead’s heroines. The use of colour was strategic from the start: A monochromatic set of demure greys opened the show and then, as from nowhere a vintage red, like the flash of a beautiful red lipstick – was introduced, first in a handbag and then, pow! A visually powerful three-piece ensemble exploded onto the scene. Our heroine is one who can embrace passion!
A vintage shade of red heated up the scene
The colour palette deliberately and in a very controlled fashion unraveled and continued to deliver one enchanting surprise after the next – charcoal was followed by the palest blue, then olive green, deepest bougainvillea and black, and it all crescendo-ed in the most opulent and decadent shade of gold.
A gold brocade fitted coatdress and pointy sandals
An olive green nipped-in-the-waist coat and oversized cloche hat
A nod to a bygone era in the styling of this dress
Deepest shades of purple bougainvillea in this ensemble
Theatrical capes were draped over shoulders like blankets, figure-caressing coats with oversized sailor collars, off-the-shoulder dresses, bustiers with the teensiest of shoulder straps, 1930-style gathered dresses, neat little suits with delightfully deep V-fronts and slashed hem skirts all made dramatic entrances from behind the shocking pink facade. Oversized cloche hats and pointy flat sandals added to the understated glamour.
A slashed hem detail in this dramatic black dress
Emilia Wickstead designed this collection ‘as one world is ending and another is beginning. There is an energy to the season, an atmosphere of anticipation and confidence.’ This resonates with what we all want to hear at this point in time.
As for Emilia Wickstead’s heroines – they’re rather confident all will be well. In fact, they don’t need to be cinematic heroines, they’re quite content to be the heroines of their own stories.
Image and Video Credit: Emilia Wickstead
