Always one to take inspiration from a fairy tale, Alena Akhmadullina based her Resort 2019 collection on the story of Lady Godiva, an Englishwoman who rode naked on a horse, covered only by her long hair, to stop her husband from imposing hefty taxes. As with her former collections, Akhmadullina infused the story into the clothes themselves in the form of embroidery and print. The Russia-based designer included not a horse but a unicorn to preserve the fantasy feel, stitching it onto a pretty sequined dress in silver and blue.
There was a nice casual-luxe tinge to certain pieces, like a red cashmere sweater that boasted an embroidered unicorn. In general, the collection was considerably pared back this season, and the less-is-more approach worked for Akhmadullina. A butter-soft suede gray coat with a few Old English–style illustrations of acorns and leaves doesn’t necessarily sound low-key, but it was this label’s standards and it was a highlight.
While Akhmadullina has long focused on producing fur—her well-heeled Russian clients love the material—she lessened the emphasis on it this season. (With a growing list of designers opting to go fur-free, that is not such a bad idea.) The move allowed for other materials, like denim, to move to center stage, including a dark-wash denim pants-and-shirt set outlined with pearls that very well could become a celebrity street style go-to. Another wild-card addition was a wooden handbag featuring a luxurious lion design.
