Sporty couture is shaping up to be a big trend for Spring, but it s something Roksanda Ilincic began injecting into her cocktail-y fare last season. The way Ilincic does it, however, the reference isn t as literal as we ve seen in the past couple weeks. Her main concern, she said backstage, is how to make the old-school craftsmanship and silhouettes that she reveres relevant to a modern woman.
Perhaps a more apt term would be sportswear couture. That means casual chic, exquisitely considered. That high-low merger isn t a new concept, but when done right, it can be the ultimate in luxury. Take a boxy T-shirt cut in peony pink silk gazar tucked into a beautifully gathered paper-bag skirt, all pulled together with a bright rope belt and a groovy beanie knitted from silk faille ribbons.
The sophisticated slouch—emphasis on sophisticated—had newness to it. The designer experimented with fabrics, too. A boyish little suit was cut from navy and white raffia. The nubbly textured fabric pieced with silk on tees and drop-shouldered coats looked like bouclé but turned out to be terry. A navy crinkle cotton isn t something you expect here, either, but looked pretty fab in a knotted-waist dress and sweatpants.
Ilincic s method of reinvigorating her lantern-sleeved and pannier-ruffled dresses with not-quite-neon color was less than inventive. Still, her color sense is sharp, so within the context of the collection, it formed a cohesive whole.
So, too, did the woman and her work. Backstage, Ilincic wore a spongy soft heather gray Whistles T-shirt tucked into a floor-sweeping silk skirt from her own collection. She s a designer who lives the dream, and more importantly, the reality.
