“It’s much brighter and lighter than our usual Fall collection,” said Jenny Packham from her Paris atelier, which felt fitting given the brighter and lighter weather that has been gracing the city all week. The London-based designer decided to expand on the Slim Aarons references from Pre-Fall, pinpointing his famous “Poolside Gossip” photo of Nelda Linsk in repose at her postcard-perfect Palm Springs home. “It’s a bit ’60s, ’70s California,” Packham said. “That cleanliness and perfection.”
The palette ran a gamut of candy-colored pastels: a powder-blue gown embellished with sequins and jewels, or a shorter pink frock trimmed in beads and feathers. There were a lot of feathers for Fall, dripping down dramatic evening capes and rippling around micro hemlines; the latter look was inspired by a photo of Marianne Faithfull on a night out. Packham is pushing into new categories as well, adding separates and knitwear. The two worlds combined in a cute white top and feathered skirt set, though Packham couldn’t resist throwing a big ole cape on top of it for the lookbook. Despite the unsteady climate of Brexit-era U.K., Packham notes that sales have been up. “In troubled times, we find people still want to invest in something for evening,” she said. “It’s about that feel-good moment.”
