What does “soul” look like? Kym Ellery knows what it sounds like—Nina Simone, singing “Feeling Good” or “Sinnerman” or “Mississippi Goddam.” But how do you translate that feeling into clothes? Ellery chose to communicate feeling through, well, feeling. This was a collection rich in texture, with starring roles for luxe materials such as deep-pile velvet, curly sheepskin, stretch corduroy, and pleated Swiss tulle, with cameos by elements like ruching and the flocked stripes on certain shirting. Ellery’s latest demanded, first of all, to be touched.
But this collection made a forceful visual impact, too. Ellery’s silhouettes were forceful: She articulated a strong waist, and evolved, in various ways, the voluminous sleeves she’s long preferred; she also punctuated her lean silhouettes with sculptural flounces, and completed the variety of Ellery-signature bell-bottoms on offer with a range of sharply cut flares. The flares numbered among the items inflecting this outing with a strong ’70s vibe; others included the safari-inspired looks, and the houndstooth coat with detachable fur collar, cuffs, and hem. The earthy palette helped, too.
There were a lot of ideas here; too many to list, really. It’s to Ellery’s credit that she made them all cohere. A few ideas jumped out, at the level of detail. One was the iridescent glint given off by standout fabrications like the coat made, in part, from the kind of plastic film used in the cassette tape, and the metallic wink of jewelry hardware. Another key motif was Ellery’s artful lacing, which imbued several pieces with a winningly louche vibe. Yet another was the graphic topstitching that punctuated the shapes of several garments. Ellery likes big effects, but she’s gotten savvy about her quiet gestures, too. This collection’s rhythm of whispers and shouts established an overall tone you might describe, as—yes—soulful.
