www.womanthismonth.com 27 November 2013 review Our former editor, Natasha Bird, stopped by Corrie Nielsen’s SS14 RTW Runway Show in London last month. Here’s her report on the collection. Corrie Nielsen has a very particular aesthetic. Her creations are always structured, voluminous and theatrical in the extreme. So a ‘ready to wear’ collection seems like a contradiction in terms, because it is hard to imagine anyone walking down the street in one of her runway looks. This year, she chose The May Fair Hotel for her SS14 RTW London show, a fittingly lavish setting for what turned out to be another selection of showstopping outfits. Taking inspiration from the Orient, her collection, intriguingly titled The Forbidden Liaisons, is a heavy nod to the sort of formal, luxuriant and often very stifling way that women dressed in China in the ‘50s. Her only real concession to the hotter season was in her pale colour palette. The looks that she sent down the runway were all quite mesmerising. Picking thicker fabrics, such as Duchess silk, waxed cotton and silk organdy, she manipulated them like origami. She uses fold after fold and pleat after pleat to create architectural garments of the sort that you could imagine might stand up, even without a body inside them. Her collection had a conservatism about it that made an interesting contrast to the see-through chiffon and billowing forms that were getting their debut in other venues. High neck lines, stiff collars and cape-like arm openings were the order of the day. The odd shift dress and a striking, strapless, yellow evening number were the only real references to the female form. This year for Nielsen, the difference is certainly in the detail. She has played with interesting fringing, piping and tassels and has found a new love for half-peplums. These additions give her designs a flirty youthfulness that they might not have had otherwise. While Nielsen’s love for costumes and drama is undoubtedly a large part of her intrigue, it is also what will prevent her clothes from having any sort of mass appeal. With the exception of a couple of garments, most of her ready-to-wear looks are only ready for you to wear them to a wedding or at the front row of another fashion show. That being said, if she does decide to take some of her principle ideas, such as the origami folds and piping, and inject them into a more ‘everyday’ set of outfits, she will definitely see plenty of success. These details are chic, flattering and extremely well executed and would be a great addition to any woman’s dressy-toformal wardrobe. We look forward to seeing more of this Oriental influence from Nielsen. Chinoiserie is a great antidote to all the exposed undergarments and see-through blouses that have dominated the ramp in the past few years. A Beautiful Liaison
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy Mjk0MTkxMQ==