Alfred Hitchcock once called Grace Kelly “a snow-covered volcano.” The blonde actress-turned-princess famously embodied the hot Ice Queen cliché, classy on the outside, lustful on the inside—a duality that some consider erotic. Alessandra Rich finds it “an attractive paradox,” and for pre-fall she flirted with the duplicity between proper and naughty, a recurring theme in … Read more
Lightness isn’t a quality usually associated with Victoriana (all those tufted sofas and crinolines), but the two come together harmoniously in Sea’s easy-to-wear pre-fall collection, which is full of cross-season dressing tips. These included pairing an openwork dress with a linen blazer cinched with a black leather waist bag, and creating interesting texture play by … Read more
Rather than fixating on a specific muse, as he has done in recent seasons, Huishan Zhang drew inspiration from ’90s coming-of-age films for his pre-fall collection. He explained during a preview, “I was looking at movies like Cruel Intentions and 10 Things I Hate About You, noticing that each character’s wardrobe reflected their personal growth.” … Read more
The opening look at the Versace spring show was a 1960s shift worn with ballet flats—a fact that could’ve made headline news, as six inch stilettos are the norm in the universe of Donatella Versace. That svelte, dynamic vibe was what she picked up on for pre-fall. Her own way of dressing IRL—a luxurious cashmere … Read more
Pre-fall collections, reasoned Ian Griffiths, are about transitional pieces “that you dream of when summer holidays are almost over and you’re ready again for the buzz of the city, looking at the rentrée with anticipation and optimism.” The Max Mara designer was in for optimism—a sentiment the world is in dire need of today. One … Read more
