Prairie prettiness
The catwalks were transformed into meadows as designers from Erdem and Alexander McQueen to Philosophy and Simone Rocha sent out models wearing delicate floral patchwork prints, ruffle skirts, drop- waist dresses and gowns, high- necked styles with embroidery while focusing on the 19th century European men and women who lived an isolated life on the prairie grasslands. Nijhawan. She shares,
“Prairie stems from the French “There’s something contradictory word for meadow,” says designer about the trend itself. A Pallavi Mohan who took to prairie prairie girl is feminine and madness as the inspiration for her pretty but there’s an underlying summer collection, adding, “And life darkness too. Hence, the clothes on the plains offered a freedom from show two opposing sides — contained, conventional behaviour. Women from controlled and buttoned- up the prairie region were not known to on the one hand and wild and free sit idle or do embroidery all day. They and coming undone, on the other.” had a functional and physical life; Although in reality the original horse- back riding, gun- toting, rattlesnake plainswoman’s wardrobe would have killing, breadwinning, facing been sparsely furnished with gingham prairie fires, droughts, tornados and calico dresses, that doesn’t and coyotes, and all these resonate stop designers from romanticising well on their clothing culture. What it. The prairie dress is not obvious they wore had to accommodate their date- night attire but it can conjure active, outdoorsy lifestyles. They had childhood innocence. There are a natural knack for layering plaids, some magpie- cool combinations florals and geometric prints. that you can try for the day They’re extremely chic and and night look. Designer wild at the same time.” Sonam Parmar Jhawar
Go for airy, featherweight suggests, “For the day, fabrics that move try mixing and with ease to counterbalance matching a roughhewn the heavy prints vintage and appliques defining a camisole with a prairie chic dress, particularly modern prairie if the silhouettes skirt, sparkly scarf are floor- sweeping, and neon t- shirt. For she suggests. “Sheerness night, up the glam makes for another great way to factor through accessories: add youthfulness to the prairie inspiration, a glitzy bag, sexy in both the shorter and longer heels and a fitted jacket. Or renditions of the dress. Use light layering try a yoke print blouse with as another perfect means to a pair of boyfriend jeans or modernise the look, choosing lacy a pretty prairie dress with bras and delicate crop tops to slip a pair of chunky biker underneath unbuttoned dresses,” she boots/ lace- up jack boots. explains. For night, throw on a
Designers are so drawn to the land leather jacket or a parka of Laura Ingalls Wilder this year also over the top of ruffle skirts because prairie has a timelessness with a boyish sweater and ride and feminine appeal, says Dubaibased Indian designer Shruti
on the prairie madness.”
It’s time to travel to the grasslands and embrace prairie chic with high necklines, floral prints, long hems and more Use light layering as another means to modernise the prairie look