Toni Francesc's show opened with a 5-minute long musical introduction, a continuous sound of different forms of falling water. Seeing as this collection of his was inspired by the "poetry of water," the intro was fitting. It also gave us a glimpse of the Spanish designer's view of fashion as serious art. And just as does fashion, Toni feels that "water provides drama, sadness and meditation." His collection reflects those ideals, in a beautiful (if serious) way.
A color palette of khaki, olive, sand, white, black, grey, navy blue, mauve, and one black & white print are worked into highly complex pieces in various silks and cottons. Silhouettes emphasized the hip, the shoulders & upper chest, and are fluid like their water influences. The collection was heavy on dresses (both cocktail- and gown-length), but also included pants, shorts, tops, jackets and vests. At first, I found the collection to be a bit on the heavy/serious side for Spring, but when reviewing individual pieces, their lightness and beauty really came to life for me.
My favorite pieces were without a doubt those cocktail dresses. A strapless olive green dress had gorgeous gathered draping up one side of the skirt, a dark blue short dress had a beatifully fitted bodice and skirt, the latter of which was covered in a tangle of draped mauve silk. The single print in the collection translated as a fan within the fabric and added to the complex/simple dichotomy of a long gown with an asymmetrical neckline. Even the styling in the show was clean and simple and worked with the inspiration behind the garments...sleek heels, no jewelry to speak of, and lucite "clutches" that looked like blocks of frozen water...
~ Alison
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