The Resort collections are always a delight to see. Not only do they provide a much needed dose of catwalk fashion during the long months in between the Autumn/Winter collections and the Spring/Summer collections, they also showcase some of the most relaxed and wearable garments that happen to be works of art in themselves.
Beautiful floor sweeping, bead encrusted gowns from Reem Acra or playful printed dresses from Mary Katrantzou are just a few of the offerings for Resort 2014. Both collections are the ultimate symbol of femininity with Reem Acra showcasing a more classic collection than Mary Katrantzou's futuristic digital prints. Here is a round up of our favourite collections this season:
Sass & Bide played a balancing act with opposing influences in their latest resort collection. Upper class Victorian glamour was juxtaposed with a minimalistic modernism that comprised of neoprene shorts and copious amounts of denim. There was no shortage of black and white, another symbol of the battle of the influences. This was broken up by the occasional metallic garment made from a burnt bronze fabric or an icy silver. The collection, although a bit of a mish mash of styles still stays true to Sass & Bide's bohemian, rock and roll aesthetic.
Mary Katrantzou showcased her first ever resort collection this season with a collection of clean cut silhouettes and a selection of prints taken from travel photography shot by Mary herself. Resort collections conjure up ideas of glamorous adventures, exotic far off lands and a more relaxed way of life. Mary Katrantzou appears to have taken all of these ideas on board and has created a collection that feeds the burning wanderlust in us all. Prints of high rise cityscapes are shown alongside tranquil Japanese gardens or deserted Swiss Alps and form the fundamental patterns for the simple shift dresses, box jackets and flowy skirts that form her collection.
Reem Acra's collection of fairytale ball gowns and elegant day dresses was certainly not lacking opulence and glamour. In fact, Reem Acra used opulence and glamour to her advantage in order to experiment with the idea of illusion. Delicate tulle lace was used as a divider within dresses to create the illusion of two garments out of one with the help of a nude panel. The colours used within the collection were rich, jewel tones, injecting a shot of tropical colour into the predominantly black line up of dresses. As well as the traditional lace work used on the ball gowns, Reem Acra uses it on day dresses to create a modern, graphic edge and as a result reinventing the concept of the little black dress.
WORDS | GRACE MOLAN
PHOTOS | STYLE.COM
