Autumn/ Winter 2018

Escapism is on the minds of fashion mavericks. JACQUIE ANG explores how nostalgia figures in a new season amid new starts and fresh offerings

THE NEW SALVATORE FERRAGAMO

Following the surprise promotion to creative director just after his third season as design director of women’s footwear, Paul Andrew recalibrates the label’s offerings on a clean slate, delivering a promising co-ed collection alongside that of menswear design director Guillaume Meilland. His muses are Katharine Hepburn (a Salvatore Ferragamo client), and Vanessa Kirby in her portrayal of Princess Margaret in Thecrown, producing a smart-looking range of women’s tailored silk foulard numbers in archival prints and lots of leather, a Ferragamo expertise. In the accessories department, which Andrew also heads, the signature Gancini hardware has been modernised as a closure for the new Studio bag and a cut-out detail on knee-high boots.

THE NEW DIANE VON FURSTENBERG

Nathan Jenden’s return to the house where he had spent 10 years (before leaving to launch his own label) brings a new muse into the limelight. Talita von Furstenberg, an 18-yearold international relations major isn’t an influencer. She’s the founder’s granddaughter, and also represents the brand’s target market. She stars in the new-season looks, brimming with vibrant colour and lush prints, such as parrots on a pleated dress. “She [Diane von Furstenberg] likes it when print moves,” highlights Jenden, who only had four weeks to produce the collection.