September 17, 2018 |
Justin Thornton and Thea Bregazzi are not people of many words. They are well-known they for forgoing show notes and instead serving us their reading list that inspired the collections. This season was no different. A piece of paper with an image of stacked-up books was waiting at our seat. But this time round, the pile of books made quite an eclectic bunch. Virginia Woolf’s Orlando, Angus Fraser’s The Gypsies, an Oxford Atlas of the World and even a pack of fortune-telling playing cards. And what did all these result in? A collection based on travel. But not the glamorous, jet-setting kind. These women don’t have wheelie suitcases and large, floppy hats or handlers taking their luggage to their room.
They travel on their feet, climbing concrete mountains and getting sh*t done. There is a sense of boyishness about how this woman carry herself – the broad-shouldered mini dresses and see-through sporty shorts worn with sandals and socks. All of a sudden, it seemed like the much-coveted personal style of Prince George made an impact of Thornton and Bregazzi.
There was still some of Preen’s signature gathered midi floral dresses, but they now looked like slightly more youthful, and much more functional. This collection made us believe we could even go hiking in a frilly pink dress à la Molly Ringwald in Sixteen Candles. And that’s a big achievement within itself. Fresh, new and wonderfully charming. We’re in.
Photographs by Jason-Lloyd Evans.
