so, i'm pretty sure that i'm the very last to have this post up. haven't quite taken to this new found urgency that the blogging community has adopted. i still prefer to wait and let the wind of hype blow over, while pondering over things. although, have a sneaky suspicion that there's only a few of us left who actually prefer to do things at this (delayed) pace. ahh, the pressures of the blogosphere... but i digress.
back to the wonder that is david west. leaving "strictly sexy" behind, this season west adopted the pleasantries of 1 part 50s housewife, 2 parts awkward good girl. high necklines, cinched waists and full, knee skimming hemlines were the order of the day - sculpting a sweet 50s silhouette. the candyfloss pinks, baby blues, ankle socks and peter pan / frilly doily-like collars brought about a nostalgic yearning for our once frivolous childhood wardrobe.
the pretty and the lovely was clashed with references to 60s pop culture - pop art printed ankle socks and boyish shoes screamed "wham! bam! kapow!" and was perfectly matched by the cartoonish sound effect soundtrack, allowing for a few smiles from the poker-faced fashion crowd.
the conversations after the show mostly revolved around deciding among ourselves the most wearable piece in the collection - the breton stripe tee, the pencil skirts and the pleasant checkered dresses came out tops. the print posse were over heard having exactly the same conversation. my favourite of the collection was definitely the dresses made entirely (yes, he had us guessing) out of foam. an interesting fabric choice, that moved ever so swiftly. how wonderful would it be if we could all wear candy floss foam dresses and sway from side to side.
the collection was in fact hard to pin down and not as simple as a few shapes, one or two key patterns and a recurring accessory here and there. west went completely outside the lines. the collection went from simple ginghams to macro florals, pastels to blacks, full to slim and boat hats to sun hats to top hats. yet still, every look complimented the next and together formed a wondrous collection, with serious quirk.
south african fashion weeks generally tend to be more commercially-driven, which in most cases results in more leading-edge fashion, as opposed to cutting-edge. so, it's always great to see conceptual designers pushing the envelope, reminding the fashion editors why they love their job and making the buyers shift nervously in their seats, trying to eye out the most wearable piece in the show. no matter where in the fashion hierarchy you sat, everyone was on the edge of their seats, waiting in anticipation for the next look. it really always is a pleasure to view the work of david west.
a very special thank you to the lovely talitha snow, fashion and portrait photographer for agreeing to shoot the show for me at such late notice. ♥
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