You'd be hard-pressed to call Alice Temperley a minimalist. That said, the past few seasons have found her demonstrating a new and welcome sense of restraint. It's not that the Temperley London aesthetic has gotten any less dramatic—this designer likes an entrance-making look and a heady sense of romance. But Temperley's means of achieving those ends have evolved; this season, for instance, there was relatively little embellishment, and an emphasis instead on forceful silhouettes and materials specially milled in Como, Italy. Of the latter, the best was a silk/wool floral jacquard, which the designer put to compelling use in fancy frocks short and long. She also deployed the material in her gown-length skirts, which were the foundation of the savviest looks here: Temperley matched the skirts with dressy button-downs or clingy knits for an effect simultaneously relaxed and formal. That's a nice tone to strike.
Elsewhere, Temperley did very well with her evening coats and jackets, and her floral embroidery managed to be sweet without being twee. She also showed a lot of finesse in more casual looks, such as a satin-lined leather jacket. Those kinds of small refinements have elevated the tone of the Temperley London label and laid the groundwork for its more pared-back, more sophisticated look as well.
