Elite Traveler January-February 2016

INFLUENCE FASHION COLUMN

elite traveler JAN/FEB 2016 61

Ashley W. Simpson on the resort collections

When we sent fashion journalist AshleyW. Simpson to the resort collections, her girlish side went intooverdrive. Thinkflirtyhemlines and more ruffles than a flamenco show

there’s always room to take something established (or in the case of the flirty ruffle, diminutive) and strip it of all former context by way of design, transforming the touch into something else entirely. That is, until a woman slips on that deep-red, laser-cut gown, and makes it all her own. Across the pond in London, Erdem Moralioglu took a similarly unexpected approach to the flirty look with subversive latex – yet still romantic – ruffled skirting. A black leather A-line dress was melded to pale pink satin and given a folding ruffle down the front. A jet black, superhero slick leather midi-skirt was constructed of ruffle upon ruffle. And white shirting was fitted with a Victorian neckline and flounces. It added a flirtatious energy to the otherwise strict Victorian silhouettes, making the look simultaneously prim and subversive. The romantic look took on further effect at Rosie Assoulin, where the young New York mother delivered deep ruffles with the dramatic panache of an ultra-grand flamenco show. The looks – pale pink ruffled flares and shoulderless tops with billowing ruffled sleeves – were fit for an opera, even when designed for day. Her sweeping tie-dye maxi skirt with a high, gloriously ruffled slit, stood out in particular. Here is one for a Haight-Ashbury-reminiscing, now uptown woman, a woman who is comfortable embracing a full look day or night. Finally, Riccardo Tisci delivered New York City-referencing flourishes at Givenchy. The standout look was what must surely be a red carpet- bound, pistachio hued statement gown. It was easy to envision the gorgeous garment on any number of premiere-bound A-listers, as well as going day-to-night on a downtown girl (with the right footwear – I’m thinking biker boots, perhaps?) Or, should you be in the mood for a little low-stakes drama, yourself. Ashley W. Simpson is a fashion writer living in New York City. She has written for Vogue , ELLE , V Magazine and Style.com

Givenchy

How many new ways are there to interpret the classically feminine look? If you look to the Resort 2016 collections – shown all over the world, from Seoul to Palm Springs to the south of France – the answer is clear. Quite a few. Flamenco-referencing ruffles reigned supreme in the collections, which were designed to be worn on all manner of global escapades. And girly flourish was arguably the trend of the season. There were the ruffles paired with relaxed, beach-ready and Punta Cana-inspired, tropical-colored apparel at Oscar de la Renta. There were high-octane colored embellishments and playful ruffles in disco shades at Lanvin. Alber Elbaz created decadent ruffle-on-ruffle on high-shine print partywear, intended to poke fun at the Instagram generation. In short, the ever-flirtatious ruffle was highly present, as was the concept that a classically feminine form can take on many identities. Yet four designers, in particular, stood out from the rest.

The most captivating was Nicolas Ghesquière’s California-desert-infused Louis Vuitton offering, with deep, cascading frills aplenty. He drew on ideas of brutalism infused with California youth and sweetness, all presented at Bob Hope’s Jetson - fashioned, spaceship-inspired estate in Palm Springs – an architectural wonder constructed in the 1970s that still feels very much of the future. The iconic house is designed to look like a volcano, with a delicate 1950s-styled retro interior. The clothes were equal part vintage sugar and forward rebel – voluminous summer prairie dresses with triangular cut outs at the waist and leather studded detailing, ankle-grazing skirts topped with motocross leather jackets and 1970s-influenced suede jackets turned futuristic with silver detailing. This culminated in Ghesquière’s take on the ruffle; the designer sent a red leather prairie dress, edged with flowing, studded leather ruffles, down the winding, terrace runway. The look was modern, surprising and, perhaps more than anything, a reminder that

Louis Vuitton

Erdem