The programme notes, which referenced George Cukor’s ‘Women’ starring 135 actresses, reinforced the message. She wanted, she said, to “move forward” and this was indeed was her most radical departure yet from the famous family knitwear brand started by her parents.
The prints were a wonderful ‘herbarium’ of strange foliage, a carpet of overlapping leaves, suggesting Art Nouveau but, in fact, straight from Angela M’s drawing-board.
There were exotic and unexpected colour mixes – taupe, jade, black and absinthe or peacock-blue and turmeric, or raspberry and pomegranate. Then there were the shapes – a bandeau jumpsuit, a blouson tunic, slithering in at the hips to form a tight skirt, a loose-shouldered V-neck, fitted at the waist, ponchos, capes, stoles, shrugs, shawls. And there were knits in the more familiar stripes, zig-zag and wave patterns with which the brand Missoni resonates.
All were layered in unusual combinations – a knotted stole over a strapless dress, the sleeves and neck of a polo protruding from the short kimono sleeves of a tunic or glimpsed underneath a short-sleeved pullover or open-neck, spiral-cut shirt-dress, layers of knits in teal and coral with slouchy, masculine trousers (an early Milan trend for next A/W) or with skirts in a mix of fur and cashmere.
A black, double-faced cashmere cape was lined in a geometric knit in pale apple and peach tones; a stripe-knit, edge-to-edge coat in yellow and brown shades accompanied a slightly lighter mustard and chocolate-print dress, accessorized with chestnut leather gloves.
The whole effect was eccentric and chic in a totally modern manner, with overtones of the 20’s, 30’s and 40’s. For evening, the knit patterns were scattered with crystals and intertwined with mixes of organza and silk gazar.
A bandeau shift in horizontal panels of black, jade and beige featured a crystal-beaded section at the knee; a blouson, strapless dress in sequined knit had a crystal hem; a sequined knit halter was accompanied with a rust and beige silk skirt.
Mink and beaded waistcoats in black added a further element to this wonderfully eclectic mix.
Photographs by Getty
