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london fashion week: caroline charles

(images via ny mag)

so. honestly, this is one i don't know why opt (save a glimpse of s/s 2012) has never covered. i've been following the work of veteran british designer caroline charles for some time now--at least in my own personal time, if not on opt--and even though i've complained at length and lamented over the lack of more refined clothes for women who have reached a certain age to wear (something ms. charles seems to specialize in, naturally), somehow, something has caused me to opt to overlook her collections each time.

until now, of course. now, you probably could argue that the s/s 2013 season also marks the first time the designer has gone on in a more noticeably youthful vein (at least for some of the little rompers, shorts, and swimwear), but i nevertheless appreciated greatly her explosions of colour and print, the goofy little details (like the clownfish motif, below) and the retro accessories details that reminded me a good deal of one of opt's favourite british designers, holly fulton.

and so. for the upcoming spring, the designer called the range 'latin america' (which, coincidentally, also seemed to serve as the main inspiration for the collection), telling the lfw site that her show "is a riot of colour and print.” and so it was, though i must say, i really liked the way ms. charles balanced her bold hues with plenty of classic black and white (and refined black trousers, of course), alongside a handful of looks that appeared rather catholic-imagery or nun-inspired (as second from below, and at bottom).

but then again, we are in the heavily catholicized latin american, and that, of course, explains all of that. frankly, those few long, prim skirts paired with bustier-type tops, or delicately-laced numbers also reminded me of dolce & gabbana's sicilian homage, for the a/w 2012 season (if not necessarily totally in aesthetic, then certainly in overtone. but, for the most part, at least, ms. charles' work was a lot lighter, more playful.

anyway. exclaiming (and alliterating) over "the multiple myraids of amazing colour & prints, flowing and cropped, ready to wear pieces," the british site the white list explained that the spring range also represented the designer's (shocking!) fiftieth anniversary in business, and though i liked that homegirl opted to celebrate by putting the kind of hardcore lavish hues on the catwalk--much like we saw at the s/s 2013 by malene birger show in copenhagen, which also represented a milestone in years for that house--i liked that she didn't simply rehash the past, but opted instead to take us to a new place, at least for her.

"Caroline Charles got the fashion pack in a holiday mood by dressing her models in flamboyant printed shirts and playsuits and eighties inspired accessories including plastic sunglasses, fluoro string bags and woven bucket hats," was how the daily mail saw things, which i'd mostly agree with, save maybe the eighties part. i didn't see the range holding tightly to one particular decade, but rather embracing the beachy, vacation culture one finds in miami, cabo, rio de janeiro, havana, and the like.

but even those there was a distinctively summery/resorty flavour to the range, one of the elements i liked best was the way in which the designer cleverly anchored her collection in separates that could be used for other seasons, as well. for example, the aforementioned black pants played a major role in the show, while several monochromatic frocks (as above), tailored jackets and blazers, and simpler sweaters (liked the striped option, fifth from top) danced between the splashier pieces.

but finally on the critical front, the washington post explained that "(a)wash with jungle prints, skimpy swimwear and vibrant colors, Caroline Charles’ catwalk channeled a tropical heat that defied London’s cool autumn weather. Charles, a veteran British designer who is celebrating 50 years in fashion...opened with a series of plain black swimwear paired with silk shirts, shorts and wide-leg pants in tropical ocean, floral and birds of paradise prints."

"Colors were bold and summery, with lots of limes, mangos and magenta," they concluded, adding that "(l)ater on the collection switched to ladylike, sophisticated looks featuring tweed, delicate lace and full, structured skirts. There were warm-weather jackets galore, some classically fitted with rounded collars, and others in flowing, longer styles." in the end, i suppose i liked it best because there really felt to be something for everyone here. one merely needs to visually take apart the collection, putting together certain pieces with ones they know they own--and might even end up with something rather austere and quiet, but that's the beauty in the designer's work.

(check out a short collection video here)

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