Dear Shaded Viewers and Diane,
Solid, rhythmic, grounded in present time, Roksanda is a label that trades in exactness, echoes the principles and poetics of a constructivist tradition. Its cuts, ruffles and pleats share the likeness of sculptures, they vibrate, with uninhibited colour. Roksanda makes confident clothes for women of power, and knows at best how to heighten but not overwhelm. For the coming spring, though, hints to a softer side, less perfectly outlined, gentler perhaps or more spontaneous, appear here and there to temper the silhouette. It’s a lightweight touch, at first: a strap that drops, a very delicate champagne pink hue, the fluttering of appliques in frayed organza. Imagine a ballpoint pen sketch with a minute fingerprint smudge, a blurred hem, a trembling line that ennobles the whole. It builds into proper brushwork as the show goes on, towards a finale when pastel cottongrass clouds have replaced the cutouts in Roksanda’s sleeveless dresses with black ribbon belt. In between, are highlights of primary yellow next to a pale cornflower blue, bandeau jumpsuit with an upside frill, poet sleeves with high, ample flare. A striped fabric that’s lifted with an organized motif of rips and tears. The show takes place at a sports hall in the West End, straight white lines on the clean parquet and oversize MDF forms as a backdrop. They look like huge, creaseless and unsigned postal packages – and could allude both to the graphics and flawless finishing of Roksanda’s outfits, and to the very human curiosity that makes us wish to peel off a corner and peek in.
Later,
Silvia
