It's collabo revelation day and unlike the Beth Ditto for Evans range which I could only muse about so much, it's a completely different kettle of fish with Roksanda Ilincic for Whistles. Due to timing problems, I've had difficulty actually seeing where Whistles is going with their A/W 09 collection despite the fact a friend who works there keeps telling me and assuring me that the collection is the absolute bomb, the hot shit, fucking awesome... expletive, expletive, expletive...
So things got even more intriguing when I heard that Roksanda Ilincic was going to be doing a seven dress collection for Whistles. They've got a new label, new website and now have gotten on the designer collab train with a pretty impressive starter... Roksanda's collab with underwear label Damaris already shows she's not a woman to do things by halves when collaborating. Sure enough, at the breakfast presentation for the collection this morning, I spy a Whistles PR wearing an amazing black seriously sharp shouldered dress with a heavy zipper at the back which made me get dress envy on the spot... turns out it's from Whistles' mainline A/W 09 collection... now I'm eager to check out the rest of the hot shit, fucking awesomeness etc etc...
But back to Roksanda... well for a start, they chose a really amazing venue for the presentation... first time I had been to Soho English eaterie Bob Bob Ricard so cue gratuitous interior shots... it was the toasters at the table and the 'Press for Champagne' button that did it for me...
Post grapefruit bellinis, smoked salmon and scrambled eggs came the dresses trooping out to a soundtrack of Chromatics... of course, that meant that what came out was the core essence of Roksanda concentrated into seven dresses. Oozing silk satins in that YSL clash of orange and pink, turquoise and gold all held together with black mesh panels or a simple black satin waistband with something that suggests the dresses aren't overly lady like...something in the drape or the cut...
Running through most of the dresses are these black lacquered flowers that explode on this strapless number...
Upon closer inspection the flowers actually vary in form but are united in their shiny blackness...
If I stare at the contents goody bag enough, it might convince me that if I had ENOUGH of these flowers, I too could do a DIY of the one above... though in reality, it would probably cost as much to buy these floral brooches and whack them on a dress than to buy the actual dress. Yes, that issue of cost... well, Whistles ain't H&M or Topshop. It ain't cheapie cheapie... £175-£300 for a dress, about 20-30% of what a real Roksanda piece costs. Does this hail the sort of collaboration where the balance is levelled out that the designer doesn't cut too many corners in production and materials to produce something for the retailer, retains her signature style and still gives consumer the opportunity to buy a designed piece for a fraction of the price? Enough pondering though... the key thing is that, take away the lush presentation, eggs and all... these are beautiful dresses heavy with work that marks this particular collaboration out in a lone bobbing boat in the middle of an ocean.... not sure who else will join them out there...
