As always, Bibhu Mohapatra has a theme and muses—Françoise Hardy and Georgia O’Keeffe meet in a garden, this season—but they are mostly beside the point. Silhouette, textiles, and craftsmanship are the real story here. Let’s start with embroidery; of note is a relatively restrained exploded grid pattern of abstract florals with an Art Deco feeling whose effect changes pleasingly depending on the placement and ground fabric. Mohapatra has also created a series of looks using trellis-like lace panels, which look best when applied to a sheer white skirt and pussybow blouse.
Less expected is Mohapatra’s mixing of different floral jacquards. This quickly becomes overly complicated when pleats, for example, enter the picture as well; a dress and evening set in a single jacquard is more successful. As to silhouette, Mohapatra is non-committal. A bubble skirt, higher waists, and strong shoulders built out with pads take a step in the direction of ’80s boldness, but rather than go all in, these commingle with more standard evening fare. A skirt with wings is all drama in the back and has some of the spirit and shape associated with the Golden Age of couture. It has promise for further development. Commercially, this collection offers “something for everyone,” but it lacks conviction editorially; Mohapatra didn’t commit to pushing his designs in one direction or the other.
