Daily Front Row

2008 September 15

Luella - London Spring 2009

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Luella Spring 2009
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(LONDON) In her show notes, Luella Bartley explained her vision for Spring 2009: "Think of a nice, polite knee-length dress you might find a rather mature royal wearing to a garden party, add three, mash them together, add an ample amount of sickly sweet confectionary color, and a bit more, then look at it through psychedelic tinted glasses, give it a matching handbag, shoe and hat and this season's character is born." Luella's collection was full of femmed-out references, from the massive striped bows to the multistrand exaggerated pearl necklaces to the cupcake-y cocktail frocks. The palette: bright and vibrant--Luella wanted colors garish enough to offer a punky feel. So lavender was paired with orange, pink took on an intensely bubblegum shade and flowers, ruffles and lace abounded. The idea was one of subversion: at first glance, everything seems typically English and proper, but the reality is far different--the mumsy veil interpreted in neon shades and the floral dress which becomes a grey jersey top exemplify Luella's dual vision of princess and punk.