On the runways of the recently-concluded New York Fashion Week last week, a trend that had been quietly flying under the radar has emerged in ubiquity: prints. Some fashion houses are known to make certain prints their signature: Think paisley’s inextricable link to Emilio Pucci, the polka dots favored by Rei Kawakubo for Commes des Garçons, and Mary Katrantzou’s surrealist digi-prints. But in the spring/summer 2013 collections, all the big names in fashion, including Chanel, Stella McCartney, Marc Jacobs and DKNY, to name a few, featured print on print. The array of patterns to choose from is dizzying— painterly brush strokes, florals, geometric, graphics, ombré, paisley and wave prints all made an appearance, while introducing the novelties of photo prints, symmetrical mirror prints and scarf prints.
For their latest collection, entitled “In Full Bloom,” the team of designers behind Harlan + Holden, a line of apparel designed and carried exclusively by Adora, decided to take on the challenge of creating prints from scratch. If the inspiration for their last collection were the jewel-toned feathers of exotic birds, this time it’s the vivid hues of flora and fauna at the height of their beauty. In order to create these prints, the design team collaborated with a team of graphic designers. The results are stunning: striking florals in rich tones, elegant digital prints on simple shift dresses and swirling patterns against clean white backdrops. Each print underwent customized fabric printing, ensuring that they would only appear exclusively for Harlan + Holden, and nowhere else. However, if you’re not quite ready to take on the head-to-toe print trend, fret not. The collection also includes pieces in more sober, neutral tones that pair perfectly with the bold prints and colors.
While this collection places much more of an emphasis on print, the silhouettes are just as fluid and graceful as their latest. Having taken inspiration from the lightness of a bird about to take flight, these pieces lend them themselves just as well to freedom and movement, perfect for women who can’t bear to sacrifice agility for fashion, while remaining flattering on more womanly body types. Shift dresses that fall above the knee show the right amount of leg without giving away too much. Loose-fitting tops that fall just above your hips, paired with form-fitting skirts or tailored pants exhibit curves while cleverly camouflaging what needs to be hidden. In place of the maxi skirts that defined their last collection are fluid jumpsuits and loose-fitting fitting pants that bear the trademark of mixing sophistication with ease of movement.
With each collection it becomes more apparent that the Harlan + Holden woman knows how make an entrance, while leaving a distinct impression. There is also something to be said about the versatility of each piece. With a varying selection of separates to choose from, it’s cinch to mix and match each piece to suit your occasion or agenda for the day. The ability to effortlessly transition from day to night is the hallmark of every modern career woman. But the women who manage to make every transition new and exciting are the ones that stand apart from the rest.
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Harlan + Holden is available only at Adora, 2/F Greenbelt 5, tel. 217-4029.