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This season Dimitra Petsa looked at the ancient Greek myth of Medusa, who before becoming a monster was a gorgon nymph. Beautiful but weak, as legend has it Medusa tapped into her power and took on her monstrous form, hair of snakes and all, after being raped by Poseidon in Athena’s temple.
Medusa was also used as a protection talisman in ancient Greece—you’d find her likeness warding off evil spirits on shields, armors and the entrance of temples. Today at London’s Bacchanalia restaurant, which looks like Greece and modern Las Vegas had a baby, you could see glimpses of her in the snake-skin printed fabrics and the models’ messy hair and snake tattoos.
“She’s scary but she is this mother figure. I think there’s something just very interesting about her harnessing her female rage,” said the designer. “I realized that perhaps I myself had been working with some self-imposed limitations or fears. I wanted to be more empowered in my own design and allow myself to experiment.”
Her experimenting resulted in the collection’s strongest moment: a sheer nude dress of tulle draped to resemble the lines Petsa drew when designing on paper. “We have a strong custom-made business so this season is also about showing our clients all the different things I can do,” she added.
Petsa flew the New Gen nest last September and so the need to keep growing different parts of the business is strong. Spring saw her add commercial pieces like T-shirt dresses and denim suits to her signature array of wet look gowns. This season she honed in on that front–I could actually see myself wearing a good third of the collection. Cases in point: a gray skirt suit of bamboo knit fabric (look 12), a black and white frayed denim two-piece (look 26) and a gray denim dress coat with black denim straps (look 16). The collection also included seven mens looks, six wedding gowns, and an incredible statement black leather wet look gown and a bag launch.
It’s clear Petsa is developing as both a designer and business person, and is eager to let the world know. Next season she can do it all more succinctly too: 35 minutes is just a little too long for a London runway show.
