“IT was about wonderment, escapism and opulence,” said Osman backstage after his show this morning. “Growing up in the Nineties, reading things like The Beach. It’s about a modern Bohemia. We’re living in a world where everything is, well, a bit crazy.”
What the designer was getting at was his own depiction of a great escape. And here realising it through his trademark artisanal wares – so sleek and architectural silhouettes were offset with crafted details: pearls, cameos and fringing featured throughout. And that ticked the opulent box – sprinkled out over a strapless baby pink dress or a baby blue slash-neck play suit, on a pyjama suit or beautiful patchwork dresses that brought the whole thing together and added fringing into the mix.
Ponchos further tapped into the traveller within (in silver, thick strands sloping down the back), Greek-style sandals in bright orange or mules in lime green – again scattered with cameos and pearls – added a modern edge.
And when it wasn’t a poncho or pearl at play it was a wrap or cutaway collar. “It was a way to soften things,” said Osman.
As the accompanying little booklet pointed out, though this started out somewhere exotic with a traveller in mind it was still made very much with a modern wardrobe at the forefront of thoughts.