'I was looking for that balance between urban dressing and escapism,' Richard Nicoll said to Sarah Mower of style.com after his runway show, and no-one could question that his collection captured just that - the oft unreachable cocktail of whimsy and street smart. Nicoll, Australian born, Central Saint Martins trained, and a London Fashion Week favourite following star collections of fetishistic purity (if ever this could occur his bondage and suspender filled autumn/winter collection in milky canvas and silk achieved this admirably), is a designer that constantly fascinates me, even if he has been somewhat inconsistent in the past. Collections showing beautiful tailoring and inspired colour combinatinos (dove grey with a blooming fuschia, anyone?) were sometimes overshadowed by showy dresses and theatrics.
But, as we've all known, Nicoll is a great designer. He is gifted with an understanding first and foremost of the foundation pieces of a wardrobe - his pleated trousers and beautiful, crisp white shirts are sell out items for his stockist in Sydney, Paddington's Lands End. I own a tee shirt dress in a rich emerald teal in contrasting strips of heavy duchesse satin, and even though it is shapeless on the hanger, on the body it assumes a folding form around every curve and shape, and i'm not entirely sure how this happens. He is a tailor, and a bloody good one at that, and you can tell by the way he cuts the fabric that he really loves what he's doing.
Summer has always been his specialty. It's the Australian in him, no matter how we feel about the season we just 'get' summer. It's our birth right. We understand loose, flowy fabrics, languid silhouettes, flirty embellishments and the need to look, and feel, cool despite mind-suppressing heat. This collection was all about summer, from the hawaii-style floral prints to the fringing recalling gypsy scarves, the perfect cover up in an indian summer, to the little bra tops and pleated pants - the perfect summer cocktail party attire if you're both self-assured and svelte.
But the bra top and suit combination is just as much for lounging around with a mojito in front of an azure blue pool as it is for the night time. These pieces, even the ostensibly dressy ones, are not so much for night time as they are for day - those summer days that stretch out in front of you like a lazy cat. These dresses go from post morning dip brunch to beach-side fish and chips to glasses of ice tea in a park. And god, you would look cool doing it. The fringing embellishments, the twist top halters, the oversized, but not overwhelming, tailoring of those blazers are just screaming out for a slick of creamy lip conditioner and a pair of mirrored aviators.
And the colour. The collection moved as a whole seamlessly from the opening stormy grey into that beautiful royal blue (and who said it was dead?) with shots of tangerine, fuschia and an almost imperial purple. And then, who would have guessed, right into sheeny metallics and creamy neutrals. There was superb use of colour blocking, Nicoll's specialty, contrasting rows of pink and orange zig zag tiers on a skirt is one example. Even the blacks seemed summery, if that is at all possible. Perhaps that's because they were on the perfect summer items - the loose day dress and the tailored jumpsuit. Both these pieces are 'put on and go' ones, you slap them on with gladiator sandals and a fedora and you're ready for whatever that summer heat sends you.
I know, i know. All this summer talk. But you couldn't look at this collection without getting a sense of that quintessential Aussie season. We do it so well, don't we, with all our denim cut offs, distressed white tee shirts and sea-salt wavy hair. however now, i think, those bondi beach girls will be running around in a drapey richard nicoll dress, a top knot and a knowing smile. It may not be strong shoulders and 80s power dressing, but it's oh so chic and oh so summery. Which Richard Nicoll does oh so well.
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But, as we've all known, Nicoll is a great designer. He is gifted with an understanding first and foremost of the foundation pieces of a wardrobe - his pleated trousers and beautiful, crisp white shirts are sell out items for his stockist in Sydney, Paddington's Lands End. I own a tee shirt dress in a rich emerald teal in contrasting strips of heavy duchesse satin, and even though it is shapeless on the hanger, on the body it assumes a folding form around every curve and shape, and i'm not entirely sure how this happens. He is a tailor, and a bloody good one at that, and you can tell by the way he cuts the fabric that he really loves what he's doing.
Summer has always been his specialty. It's the Australian in him, no matter how we feel about the season we just 'get' summer. It's our birth right. We understand loose, flowy fabrics, languid silhouettes, flirty embellishments and the need to look, and feel, cool despite mind-suppressing heat. This collection was all about summer, from the hawaii-style floral prints to the fringing recalling gypsy scarves, the perfect cover up in an indian summer, to the little bra tops and pleated pants - the perfect summer cocktail party attire if you're both self-assured and svelte.
But the bra top and suit combination is just as much for lounging around with a mojito in front of an azure blue pool as it is for the night time. These pieces, even the ostensibly dressy ones, are not so much for night time as they are for day - those summer days that stretch out in front of you like a lazy cat. These dresses go from post morning dip brunch to beach-side fish and chips to glasses of ice tea in a park. And god, you would look cool doing it. The fringing embellishments, the twist top halters, the oversized, but not overwhelming, tailoring of those blazers are just screaming out for a slick of creamy lip conditioner and a pair of mirrored aviators.
And the colour. The collection moved as a whole seamlessly from the opening stormy grey into that beautiful royal blue (and who said it was dead?) with shots of tangerine, fuschia and an almost imperial purple. And then, who would have guessed, right into sheeny metallics and creamy neutrals. There was superb use of colour blocking, Nicoll's specialty, contrasting rows of pink and orange zig zag tiers on a skirt is one example. Even the blacks seemed summery, if that is at all possible. Perhaps that's because they were on the perfect summer items - the loose day dress and the tailored jumpsuit. Both these pieces are 'put on and go' ones, you slap them on with gladiator sandals and a fedora and you're ready for whatever that summer heat sends you.
I know, i know. All this summer talk. But you couldn't look at this collection without getting a sense of that quintessential Aussie season. We do it so well, don't we, with all our denim cut offs, distressed white tee shirts and sea-salt wavy hair. however now, i think, those bondi beach girls will be running around in a drapey richard nicoll dress, a top knot and a knowing smile. It may not be strong shoulders and 80s power dressing, but it's oh so chic and oh so summery. Which Richard Nicoll does oh so well.
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