The Spring Summer 2020 collection is inspired by the infamous Persian princess Taj Saltaneh of the Qajar Dynasty.
In the early 20th century, she was a feminist and trailblazer for women’s rights in Iran. She was a prominent founding member of the country’s underground women’s group Women’s Freedom Association, working for equal rights for women around 1910. She secretly organized and attended underground women’s rights meetings whilst telling her family that she was attending religious sessions. She once led a women’s rights march to Parliament and was an avid supporter of Iran’s Constitution revolution.

180 The Strand, London UK. 13th September 2019. Bora Aksu shows his Spring Summer 2020 designs. © Chris Yates

She was a writer, a painter, an intellectual and an activist who hosted literary salons at her house once a week. She was fluent in Arabic and French and played the violin. She was the first woman in court to take off the hijab and wear western clothes. The first to write a memoir and a vocal critic of the monarchy her father and brother ruled. She blamed incompetent monarchs for many of the problems that Iran was facing at the time including poverty, the lack of education for masses and women’s rights. Hers was a lone female voice advocating for change and democracy. Her journey from a young princess to an activist inspires the Spring Summer 2020 collection, which sees opulence contrasting simplicity and has a soft, romantic feel. The juxtaposition can be seen in the mix of hard and soft textures, layered gowns and tailoring.
In a collection dedicated to Taj, Aksu creates garments that reflect these contrasts. On one side the brightest shades of coral pink, burnt orange and powder pink come alive in the form of tulle, silk and pleated organza moving freely and therefore representing princess Qajar’s flamboyant personality; on the other, serious brocades and masculine tailoring reflect her disguised and suppressed self.

The colour palette is inspired by Colombian artist Maria Berrio’s paintings and collages which bring a sense of eclectic summer breeze.
The combination of soft, feminine fabrics and structured shapes creates romantic yet strong, bold silhouettes. A mix between traditional masculinity and sophisticated femininity is also visible in the embroidered and printed dresses. The silhouettes are voluminous and rich and include long tailored cocoon coats, cropped tailored jackets, capes, shirts and skirts that function as separates. While Linda Farrow glasses add a contemporary vintage feel, Aksu also launches a capsule of handbags as part of the Spring Summer 2020 collection.

Questo slideshow richiede JavaScript.

Holiday dressing: it’s not necessarily always about the place we’re going, but about who we want to be once we’re there. Out it goes with the clothes that define our daily lives, making way instead for those that encapsulate the romance of postcard-perfect dressing: circa the vintage vistas and holiday heydays of the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. The alluring styles synonymous with icons such as Sofia Loren and Monica Belluci. For clothes that will make this the best holiday ever, a cloud of enchanting memory akin to that of a first love or childhood nostalgia

It’s with this that Roberta Einer approaches her spring/summer 2020 collection, revisiting her fondest holiday destinations and repacking for them now armed with that grown-up sense of excitement one tends to get upon going away: that feeling they can be a little more adventurous or over-the-top than usual.

Traversing the underwater rugged textures of Cornwall with shots of the summer and shades of the beach; fitted 1990s-style corsetry, oversized tailoring, faded denim, loose pyjama styles and beautiful embroidered slips, it’s a light and breezy collection. Last season’s smocking story continues while hand-crochet among the knitwear once again nods to Einer’s Estonian heritage. Natural yarns trail in muted tones.

Italy surfaces as a significant stopping-off point. The oranges and lemons of its vibrant citrus ceramics feature across the collection as souvenir motifs. The coral, shells and organic sea shapes of its coast make for built-up embellishments, extravagant earrings and watercolour prints. While its vintage table cloths, combined with a hand-embroidered lace technique developed by Einer, are captured in the finale pieces inspired by wedding dresses from the 1940s and 1950s.

In a further debut collaboration, Einer works with Christian Louboutin to design a capsule collection of its classic and latest heels: ‘Iriza’ is hand-embroidered with crystals and delicate lace beading; ‘Sandal du Desert’ features the season’s signature Italian tweeds; and her take on “ Gypsiebootie’ is a knee-high boot, a standout of the season, in hand-painted and printed denim as well as exquisite lace beading.

The designer once again continues her collaboration with Swarovski which features throughout the collection to highlight this season’s prints, adding a beautiful glimmer to delicate hand embroideries and found scattered through the sleeves of exaggerated silhouettes. Earrings are inspired by light reflecting on the water and use oversized Swarovski crystal charms of shells and sea snails to echo the sea theme. Swarovski beads also adorn the show-stopping Christian Louboutin heels.

Tapping into the collection’s overlying theme for nostalgia, Einer embarks upon a collaboration with Care Bears to reflect those fond childhood memories. A selection of handpicked vintage illustrations and charming slogans from its archive add an endearing twist to her vacation tale. In the spirit of sharing and caring, Care Bears will also be donating all licensing commissions from sales to charity partner Care.org.

Channeling maximalist fashion, Roberta Einer is renowned for her dramatic use of colour paired with expert combinations of unlikely textiles. Across the globe, Roberta has established her as a young brand and coined ‘one to watch’. Fun and seeking excitement, Roberta Einer designs garments, allowing women to feel gloriously beautiful and sexy.

Photo•©RobertaEiner_SS20

Questo slideshow richiede JavaScript.