February 20, 2017 |
A national theatre for a national treasure. Okay, yes, we know that Roland Mouret isn’t technically ours, being that he is a Frenchman (making him, in fact, our most favourite Frenchman) but he has long called London home. And London was the place, 20 years ago, that his fashion brand first came to life. So what better time to come home? Now, this didn’t necessarily mean that it was just a greatest hits. But the Roland Mouret hallmarks were certainly there. Namely, his incredible ability to make women look and feel sexy, sophisticated, elegant. And yes, this was sexy. There’s something about velvet that does things to a woman. We began with a lesson in drapery. Anyone who has seen Mr Mouret with a piece of fabric and mannequin can attest that he is the master. Here, that came through in dresses that draped around the body, falling away into a handkerchief hemline, first in a fine jacquard knit that shimmered in the light, later in pure coloured wool. So too the tailoring, that fell slightly off the shoulder and cinched at the waist, curving slightly on the arms. There were also trousers, in silky fabric that trailed after the models, or a slimmer cut that opened at the hem with a zip. And, talking of sexy, what says sexy more than rope? You know our feelings about getting tied up. Here, that rope tied around the model’s waist to give shape or secured the shoulder of tops. On a similar note, we very much enjoyed those chokers. Who doesn’t enjoy a leather choker of a Sunday afternoon? So too the sheer dresses, perfectly fitted to the model’s forms and embroidered with fern-like stitching, revealing the underwear beneath. Peek-a-boo. It finished, as all good things should, with that aforementioned velvet moment – a, let’s call it bewitching, cape, or that breathtaking final dress that seductively clung to the model’s body. And with that, Mr Mouret, can we say how happy we are to have you back. Congratulations on a most fabulous show. Here’s to the next twenty. And twenty more after that.
