(25 Feb 1997) English/Nat
Moss brown and purple are the colours for next winter.
Both Helen David and Betty Jackson showed collections that drew heavily from cold climates: piling fur on velvet and wrapping models in stretch jersey.
It’s that Slavic look.
Helen David’s collection was inspired by Russia.
She has even hired Russian models for their boned Slavonic features: delicate yet steely.
Her Dr Zhivagoesque collection did not dispense with “sheers” altogether — this season’s floaty, transparent fabrics that subtly shock.
But it was sumptuous velvets and Pushkin printed satins that stole the show.
Helen David looked to St. Petersburg for much of her inspiration: visiting the great palaces of the Tsars and drawing on Tolstoy’s classic, War and Peace.
Whatever Romanov purple may be, she used it — according to her publicity leaflet.
And her evening wear collection was pure Dr Zhivago: mixing frosty silvers and snow whites for a look that would not have looked amiss on Julie Christie.
Her first show in ten years was less English Eccentric than Russian imperial retro.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
“This season just had a feel to it and I just thought London is just right again somehow because I used to show in the mid to late 80s and then London went a bit quiet and some of our best people like Vivienne just disappeared to Paris, Jasper stopped showing, John Galliano disappeared and so I just felt it’s quiet now I’ll just get on with the business side.”
SUPER CAPTION: Helen David, Helen David English Eccentrics
Betty Jackson’s show could not have been further away stylistically — or closer.
With her characteristic layered look, Jackson created a show that was at once bulky and yet airy.
The rich purples featured strongly — and the gorgeous browns.
Jackson also wrapped her models in deep cut, wrap-around jackets, blurring the neck line with furs and feathers.
Her evening range featured — predictably — sheers.
But Jackson banded the sheer, throwing away cutting convention to wrap the bands around the body widthways.
Again, the silhouette was all. Nobody has gone out from the waist this season, keeping close to the thigh instead.
Jackson has advertised this as a show that was after a tough look but one that retained its femininity.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
“It was all to do with fragile clothes then worn in a tougher sort of way because I don’t ever believe in women as victims. I want them to be quite strong.”
SUPER CAPTION: Betty Jackson, fashion designer
Overall, it was more of a development for the veteran designer than a departure from her consistently British look.
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