The classic ornate beauty of the Connaught Rooms quickly filled with a very sleek and sophisticated crowd for Dubaibased label –Atelier Zuhra. Across all the shows I saw during London Fashion Week, nowhere else did I see so much red lipstick, perfectly applied make up, hijabs and high heels. The high heels in particular made me aware that this was another fashion tribe I was joining; in other crowds they were decidedly more scarce.
Atelier Zuhra‘s AW19 couture collection “Infinity” takes its inspiration from gemstones. This found its way in colours, use of crystal and form. I have read that at Paris Fashion Week and in other on-schedule LFW shows, gowns are really coming into prominence. The gowns presented in Infinity, beautifully framed by the grand high ceilings and bright high key lighting and crystal chandeliers, were the very embodiment of excess.
I especially enjoyed how the gowns were grouped by their jewel tones, so that one opulent amethyst gown crossed with another and another, to then be overtaken by a variation of gowns in emerald, and then ruby, and then so on. The effect let the eye settle on the similarities and differences of the dresses, straight sleek long lines followed by massive floor sweeping ballerina skirts. Everything decadent, everything celestial, an array of crystalline confections where the models instead of walking seemed to float. The way light hit them made every gown almost ethereal. This was a divine collection where accessories were not necessary, because the gowns were both garment and accessory.
Words By Paula Varjack
~ Paula Varjack’s show “The Cult of K*nzo” is currently on a nationwide tour that includes Battersea Arts Centre on Saturday 27 April
https://www.bac.org.uk/content/45293/whats_on/whats_on/shows/cult_of_knzo ~
*Disclaimer – All images are sourced from POP PR courtesy of Jaimie Wylie. We are not responsible for the source of the images beyond these entities. Ragged Culture Publishing Ltd does not own these images. All rights reserved.*