THE ART OF DRESSING

JW ANDERSON – Double-breasted cotton trench coat and Wrap-effect cotton-twill midi skirt / DION LEE – Woven stretch-jersey bandeau top / AMINA MUADDI – Iman suede thigh-high boots / PACO RABANNE – XL link leather and silver-toned necklace / TILLY SVEAAS – Oval sterling silver choker / SUSAN CAPLAN – Pre-loved Rococo-embossed sterling-silver coin purse

JW Anderson, est. 2008

The ‘show in a box’ – Jonathan Anderson’s inventive method of presenting his latest collection – distilled the designer’s originality and love for craft. Craft is the cornerstone of JW Anderson collections, and often it’s the clever twists on classic styles that are most compelling. A transitional trench coat will always be a style to reach for at this time of year, but one with the unexpected addition of a coordinating wrap skirt? Even better.

Artisanal detailing, reworked classics, coordination

AZZEDINE ALAÏA – Edition 1993 The Lace cropped stretch-woven top, Edition 1993 The Lace scalloped-hem high-rise stretch-woven leggings and Corset leather shoulder bag

Maison Alaïa, est. 1981

A true original who first broke with the fashion schedule in 1988 and collaborated with artists throughout his career, Azzedine Alaïa built his reputation on considered, exquisitely constructed couture. Honouring that legacy, Maison Alaïa’s intricately trimmed crop top and equally form-fitting leggings from the Éditions series are reissued replicas of styles from 1993. Likewise, the Corset bag takes cues from Alaïa’s iconic lace-like leather bustiers.

Intricate open-work, lace-like leather, form-fitting fabrics

CAROLINA HERRERA – Fitted woven blazer (coming soon) / DION LEE – Garter high-rise stretch-jersey bike shorts / NODALETO – Bulla Solal leather knee-high boots / JACQUEMUS – Square-buckle belt (coming soon)

Carolina Herrera, est. 1981

“I didn’t want to get so caught up in the pragmatism of this moment that we lost the playfulness of the clothes,” Creative Director Wes Gordon told Vogue when introducing this latest collection. Gordon drew on Carolina Herrera’s sculptural 80s tailoring for Resort 2021 – the house codes haven’t changed, and neither has how much mileage you can get from the brand’s deftly tailored jackets. You are – have always been – the well-framed artwork when you’re wearing an hourglass Carolina Herrera creation with the neckline cut just so.

Hourglass silhouette, understated detailing, nipped-in waist

PLEATS PLEASE ISSEY MIYAKE – Musa graphic-print pleated woven top and Musa graphic-print pleated wide-leg high-rise woven trousers / LOEWE – Obi wide leather belt / WOLFORD – Colorado turtleneck stretch-jersey body / SUSAN CAPLAN – Pre-loved Elizabeth Taylor vine 18ct gold-plated necklace / BOTTEGA VENETA – The Shell medium leather shoulder bag

Issey Miyake, est. 1970. Loewe, est. 1846.

Abstract patterns mark out the latest oversized styles from Issey Miyake – a magpie of artistic influences and a brand that continually blurs the lines between art and fashion. Miyake’s pioneering pleats and meticulous ‘one piece of cloth’ process that considers how fabric works with bodies, and how we take up space, invites you to play with proportion yourself. To that end, cinch in this free-flowing art piece with Loewe’s reinterpretation of a traditional obi belt (inspired by Japanese martial arts styles).

Abstract print, voluminous silhouette, tactile fabrics

BOTTEGA VENETA – Dolman-sleeved round-neck wool-bend jumper, Elasticated high-waist leather mini skirt and The Shell medium leather shoulder bag / DENTS – leather gloves (coming soon)

Bottega Veneta, est. 1966

Bottega Veneta has recently scrubbed its social media – could that be the new manifestation of its tagline, ‘when your own initials are enough’? Certainly, there’s a level of only-those-in-the-know anonymity to Daniel Lee’s dolman-sleeve sweatshirt and sleek leather skirt. As for the Shell bag? It may not appear on the Bottega feed, but it’s set to be the centrepiece of countless others.

Voluminous sleeves, sleek separates, geometric accessories

BEVZA – Seashell-embroidered satin-crepe top, Fish-embellished split midi skirt (coming soon), Satin fan bags (coming soon) / WOLFORD – Velvet Sensation leggings (coming soon) / PRADA – Leather boots (coming soon)

Bevza, est. 2006

Had Sandro Botticelli still been in the business of painting goddesses in 2021, the obvious choice would be to depict them in Ukrainian-born Bevza’s signature ‘shell’ bustier and breezy-as-sea-air wrap skirt, no? The subtle ceramic fish fastening is an artful detail that answers that definitively for us. Together, these pieces capture Bevza’s minimalist yet characterful designs and fresh take on modern femininity.

Scallop-shell stitching, tactile silk, breezy crepe

MAGDA BUTRYM – leather jacket (coming soon) / JW ANDERSON – Pom-pom embellished wool jumper / GAUGE81 - Albany high-rise stretch-knit shorts / HURR – Roop satin sack bag (available to rent) / PRADA – Leather boots (coming soon)

Magda Butrym, est. 2014

At the start of each collection, Magda Butrym asks herself two questions: “what do I need in my closet, and what do I dream about?” The Polish designer is known for making her own characterful mark on classics styles, tweaking them just enough so they stand out without being confined to any one fashion season. For this razor-sharp jacket, she finds the meeting point between a biker and a blazer with a dynamic, angular cut.

Statuesque shoulders; sculpted leather; cropped hem

ALEXANDER MCQUEEN – Sweetheart-neckline woven corset top (coming soon) / COMME DES GARÇONS – Twisted puff high-waist shell midi skirt / LOEWE – Obi asymmetric leather belt (coming soon) / DENTS – leather gloves (coming soon) / MONIES – Uniq lapis bracelet (coming soon)

Alexander McQueen, est. 1992. Comme des Garçons, est. 1969.

Few brands have turned the runway show into performance art quite like these two powerhouses. There’s that same theatrical quality to the masterful construction of this McQueen corset, which Sarah Burton and her team created during lockdown by drawing on designs and fabrics from the McQueen archive. And there’s no missing Comme des Garçons’ pumped-up puffball of a tulle skirt, part of a collection that delved into and disrupted ‘the spirit of couture’, per Rei Kawakubo’s characteristically cryptic notes.

Sweetheart neckline, experimenting with volume, exaggerated tulle