Boudoir D’huîtres / womenswear
PrintJellyfish, as well as Bjork’s song “Oceania,” served as inspiration for “Medusa is Blooming,” the latest collection by Mimi Plange. Translated perhaps too literally, the movement of waves was represented in the gathered overlays of folds. Meanwhile, jellyfish could be spotted in the “tendrils” of ruffles and the balloon-like shape of harem pants. With a few exceptions, a lot of these adventurous pieces seemed unwise for the female body. With ruching in the most unforgiving of places and fluorescent color-blocked cocktail dresses, Plange’s collection might be a hard sell, despite its on-point palette of bold blues, pinks, and yellows, tempered with black. Plange also seemed to struggle with her fabrics. A bejeweled jumpsuit might have been pulled off if it weren’t for its polyester blend, and a stiff, pink blazer wasn’t doing even a size-zero mannequin any favors.
Unique construction was the highlight of the collection. Features such as strong shoulders with strips of chiffon, jacket with just the right amount of feathers and open pockets all created head-turning shapes. This expert tailoring makes sense, considering Mimi started her line with outerwear. Citing the designs of the Victorian period such as the bustier and trumpet sleeves as a constant inspiration, Plange states that her goal is to, “Keep that theme rolling, but do it differently every single season.” To pull off something as challenging as Boudoir D’huîtres’ open pocket cocktail dress, wear mile-high heels to elongate your form, and keep accessories to a minimum. One piece can steal the show.
30 April 2009
vol. 6, issue 12
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