Many of you will assume overseas autumn haute couture collections will have little impact on our wardrobes. Of course no comparison can be made between our mainstream brands and worldwide leaders of fashionable indulgence and haute couture. However, many common brands are inspired by such fashion houses and consequently showcase similar trends.
Alexis Mabille’s high profile dressing can be emulated locally with Alexandra Owen’ s gold satin and jackets. Barkers’, Little Brother’s and Mandatory’s collections look upmarket out of an office context, and Cue has the remarkable ability to make me wish I had an office job with their structured combinations.
Armani Prive’s collection revolves around the moon with circular and dreamy outfits. This season Camilla and Marc have used globe shapes and Farmers has cottoned on to this with round necklines. Bianca Spender has interpreted Prive’s moon washed palette, while back on Cuba Street the new Temt is playful with light colours.
Elie Saab is always attracted to the glisten of glamour and their recent rich colouring is true to this. Saab’s couture statement of pomegranate red is noticeable in Starfish’s spring collection.
Although striking draping is harder to come across, it can be sourced in Alice McCall’s collection. Valentino is drawn to the darker side of youth fashion. From this, the Cassette Society is an edgy take on maverick youths. What’s more, popular culture’s obsession with night creatures comes out in Deadly Ponies’ menacing animal jewelry. Glassons’ up
and coming ‘Into the Woods’ campaign brings out a darker texture to the fashion scene like Lonely Hearts’ ‘What is your damage?’
The rebel runaway is explored in many young brands such as Chronicles of Never and Claude Maus. However, the clean-cut aspiration of Valentino’s work is not lost in St Augustine Academy’s subculture curiosity and Max’s and Stax’s cuts. Chanel’s couture dark tapestry is woven into Sabatini from Goodness and Devol from Rex Royal.
Stephane Rolland’s couture dons elaborate one shoulders and new necklines like Qasimi. Locally, Sera Lilly is a fan of these and even Valley Girl and Lippy have done a take on the red rouched shoulder. Rolland’s attention to the play of light on contoured materials is harder to find. However, Hailwood’s use of Satin emulates this quite well, especially in his long pants and dresses.
Whoever said couture is for the rich and famous only?