According to the show s press notes, this Osman collection was inspired by "strong, stylish female figures with a sense of adventure." But while the young designer Osman Yousefzada cited Peggy Guggenheim in particular, the long shapeless dresses, layered nubby-mohair check pieces, and a look that involved a blazer over a cropped top suggested some rather different female figures—namely, 1990 s actresses, with Andie MacDowell in Green Card and Winona Ryder in Reality Bites coming specifically to mind. And while any excuse to cite the MacDowell/Depardieu film is welcome, that movie was notable for matching the badness of MacDowell s acting with the dodginess of her wardrobe. Nubby mohair? And in check?
Yousefzada has a tendency to see inspirations in his work that remain opaque to most others: Last time, it was "Mrs. Simpson" who got a name check, even though the clothes looked a lot sportier and skimpier than anything ever worn by Wallis herself. Now, this isn t necessarily a problem—when has a fashion press release ever really reflected what s on the runway? But it only works as long as the clothes are good, and that is a bit more problematic here. Quite why, though, is a puzzle, as the boy can cut a good dress. This was proven by the opener, in which four models marched out together (starting the show off on a very nineties note, with its reference to the famous Cindy/Naomi/Linda/Christy moment on Versace s runway). The quartet wore beautiful draped black dresses from Yousefzada s new capsule jersey collection. This is just what London needs: a young designer who can make timeless, flattering clothes, who isn t trying to reinvent a wheel that needs no reinvention. But just when you re thinking Yousefzada could be the very useful product of a union between Diane von Furstenberg and Donna Karan, he brings out some oversize palazzo pants and an unfortunate cocoon of a fur coat. Perhaps his jersey collection will remind the designer that sticking to what he does best is more fun for both him and onlookers.
