Corrie Nielsen - A Winters Melody
I will probably owe Mel an Erdem and a Westwood (God it's just like cigarettes in jail!) in future for this as we only had one ticket to Corrie Nielsen and I got to go because she had something happening with work. I wish so much that we would have been able to go together as I must say it was right up her street. Thanks to Adorngirl for squishing together with me like true blog buddies to get some good shots!
Influenced by the Elizabethan period, 40's and 50's Haute Couture and portraiture of the Spanish and Flemish aristocracy with a colour palette from the oil paintings of the times, this had to be a show oozing in drama.
The music was haunting (composed by Ken Watanabe) and for whatever reason it didn't feel like we were at Somerset House, but rather at some listed mansion in the country. Nielsen seemed to have spent her Fashion Fringe budget/sponsorship wisely having two sculptural pieces either side of the runway entrance to set the mood and used only the lushest fabrics (wools, cashmere and triple silks).
The daywear pieces were incredible. They held a certain androgyny through the style of tailoring but had wraps that went around the body and draped in a way to reassert femininity. Trousers.... So so beautiful. Resting completely over the shoe and crumpling at the bottom, I could see myself wearing these day and night and to a myriad of occasions. Just the sort of long term forever fantastic pieces that we love.
The evening wear was rich but not in your face. Unique gathering at the hips on some of the skirts and dresses had my interest piqued. I wanted to touch the garments and pull them apart to see how she managed to create the patterns!
One more over the top thing I love about Nielsen, as it is something I know Mel and I would each do, is that she named and provided a quote with every single look she sent out: Catwalk with Jean de la Fontaine "All those who enter, enter so but none is ever seen again, the way out isn't quite so plain."... How unbelievably romantic.... Some of our favourites:
School girl outfit with short: "Don't sell your bearskin till the bear is dead."
Francis Howard long skirt/classic top: "Oh well, since your talents aren't for farming, you'd better dance instead."
Corset/Draped hip skirt: "madam, you should know, a flatterer is a kind of parasite that lives off of those who will listen.
Finally came the closing 2 pieces, each the antithesis of the other. First a champagne evening dress named the Tower of Babel worn with ballet shoes - there are no words... And then slowly and ghostlike behind was an Elizabethan ruff jacket and La Cigale skirt in a deep navy worn by a flame haired raven of a model, both left me BREATH... LESS....
We honestly can't wait for next season, when we hope to have 2 tickets so at least we can be silenced (a rare feat) by Corrie Nielsens melodie together.
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