Swept away
We are not strangers to the concept of a Holiday getaway. As the hustle and bustle of the season begins to take its toll on our already packed schedules, the idea of getting away — if only for a few precious days — from the repetitive carols, tinsel décor and wrappers and long queues at the malls become most favorable. But while many complain about the Holiday rush and wish to sleep through Santa fever, the season nonetheless compels one to join in on the festivity, celebration and of course, infectious cheer of Christmas. The reality is that one cannot easily escape the inevitable protocols brought about by the Holiday. And so, the fashion savvy individuals are finding in this season’s collections the fitting pieces that will make to every invite and function.
By now, your date book is packed with reunions, sit-down dinners, parties and major events that entail a wardrobe worthy of a red carpet fashion moment. Fall’s presentation of flounce, frock and frill are clear representations of fashion’s perpetual affair with fantasy. On the runways, we see the genius of designers coming into play as a wide array of details — sculpted hems, soft cascades, flirtatious tassels, intricate pleats and illusory ripples — are brilliantly utilized to create texture, mood and a sense of depth to an otherwise ordinary cocktail number.
Lanvin’s pieces this season, for example, stand out with its brightly colored shift dresses cut with precise referencing and technical construction. Utilizing lavish yards of duchesse satin, Lanvin’s often severe silhouettes were draped very subtly at the back to make for a perfect feminine yet intelligent cocktail number. Similarly, Hollywood’s spectacle from back in the ‘40s was relived through the pieces at the Christian Dior show. Adding a chic contemporary feel to these ensembles, however, was the unexpectedly modern yet visually pleasing color selection — pistachio greens, blinding blues and fragrant fuchsias. Rising fashion force Sophia Kokosalaki garnered nods of approval from style’s greatest critics with her fusing of Grecian drapery with under-the-radar streamlining. In this collection, we see a merging of Old World sensuality and urban sensibilities. Meanwhile, Giles Mendel takes inspiration from pragmatic post-war silhouettes while utilizing treated chiffons in elegant shades of black. On the same concrete urban trail is Yves Saint Laurent’s bleak creations by Stefano Pilati that, more impressively, stands as an exemplary embodiment of design control and well-thought-of innovation.
Holiday celebrations may seem to become more of an obligation than a treat considering how invitations are sent out just about every single minute of the day. The thing is, at one point or the other, escape seizes to be an option. One will have to oblige. And maybe one even finds a new kind of joy in dressing for the season. Once in a while, especially when circling the fashion arena, it is impressively courageous to come across one who dares to go against the tides. But once you lay eyes on that perfect Holiday dress — its color hypnotizing, its cut as flawless as that of a diamond and each detail a symbol of everything beautiful and grand — it would be wiser to allow one’s self the pleasure of being swept away by style.
