COUTURE EAT HIGH STREET PRICES
Chic and unique, Anthropologie is the midlife fashion lover’s secret. Now it’s offering...
WHeN the late, great Karl lagerfeld announced he was designing a collection with H&M back in 2004, the (fashion) world nearly stopped.
The head of Chanel (that haute- est of houses), famous for his exquisite catwalk creations, designing for a shop known for £10 T-shirts? It will never work, we chortled. But, of course, lagerfeld had the last laugh.
The designer/High Street collaboration is part of the retail landscape nowadays. We’ve seen brands from Balmain to
immy Choo jumping aboard the bandwagon and producing mass-market capsule collections. But as of next Tuesday, he high-low idea is entering the next realm: couture. Well, nearly. Anthropologie is launching a collection with Spanish ‘pret-a-couture’ house Delpozo. It’s an interesting hoice. You’ve probably never heard of Delpozo. But look closer and it’s a fitting match. The Spanish brand has been quietly climbing the fashion ranks of late, its delectably pretty new look with unusual pastel colour combinations and 3D petal shapes proving catnip for celebrities and the fashion crowd alike.
But the big selling point (if you’ve got that kind of money) is its ‘demi-couture’.
What on earth does that mean? Haute couture proper has to meet a strict set of criteria, a bit like Champagne. Meanwhile, the diluted Delpozo version uses skilled artisanal elements (hand-embroidery, the finest fabrics) while being available to buy off-the-peg. And Anthropologie, a mecca for all things unusual yet special, has the same sort of appeal for those of us with Champagne tastes on a cremant budget.
So, does the 20-piece Anthropologie X Delpozo collection live up to its promise? My magpie heart is definitely beating faster for the embellished pieces. The delicate floral prints and sherbet and sugared-almond colours are delicious. Plus the range also spans homeware and furniture. It might not be true couture, but it’s a cut above other collaborations.
So what next? The bespoke suits of Savile Row or one-off Dior creations hitting the High Street? We can live in hope.