"I guess people think of Matthew Williamson as the girl marooned on the beach," said the designer before his show. "But this is a wardrobe for a woman wherever she may be."
So, castaway no more, but still in love with her silky bohemia? It's not the first time that Williamson has tried to square these elements. The best-looking proposal opened the show. There's nothing chicer than traversing city streets in July wearing a bright buttoned-up shirt and saronglike wrap skirt topped by a proper blazer with a glint of silver tile, is there? Even if pulling it all off is hard to imagine without the benefit of Anja Rubik proportions boosted by Williamson's Charlotte Olympia platform sandals, his first shoe collaboration ever.
Ultimately, the answer shouldn't be so hard. A couple of seasons of ubiquitous color and print have taught us that the stuff goes everywhere. Williamson found his legs in chiffon blouses, here printed with digitized Japanese blossoms, tucked into bright trousers. He manipulated a floral until it looked like an abstract ikat and cut it into fluid silk onesie shirtdresses and jumpsuits. A little tweed jacket with an embellished neckline is one we've seen elsewhere but still makes sense here.
Conversely, eveningwear, usually a strong point, was uneven. At times, Williamson seems to fall in love with his embellishments and lose equilibrium. The showgirl sprays of ostrich feathers on cutwork lace tipped the scales too far for any setting.
