The changes brought about by the COVID-19 crisis have been felt throughout the fashion industry, but independent brands have been hit especially hard. For Greta Constantine’s Stephen Wong and Kirk Pickersgill, 2020 has been a trial by fire that prompted the pair to reevaluate their business model and creative output. Fall 2020’s exploration of luxe fabrications and jewel tones delivered the red carpet oomph they’ve become known for, but that level of opulence no longer feels relevant. With the vast majority of the population still clinging to their yoga pants, even the bare minimum of shirts that button and pants that aren’t stretchy seems luxurious. Wong and Pickersgill wanted to acknowledge that reality without completely abandoning glamour.
Given the aggressively casual state of things, Wong and Pickersgill’s resort collection focused on their version of daywear. Neither espouses a love of loungewear (duh), so their take on the concept was all about LPD: little pastel dresses. The soft tones, baby doll silhouettes, and lightweight fabrics added up to a polished selection of looks and a joyful mood. Pieces like cap-sleeve A-line dresses with ruffle detailing or color-block maxi dresses were surprisingly versatile, hinting at the brand’s eveningwear expertise without feeling overwrought. Playful fabrics—a cotton eyelet that upon closer inspection contained a koi fish pattern—and plunging necklines kept the energy youthful and upbeat.
The ultrashort silhouette favored by Pickersgill and Wong may be tricky to pull off—a seafoam green ruffled number was minuscule enough to be worn as a shirt, and the majority of the pieces were only slightly longer—but it kept with the overarching mood. The duo has chosen optimism and a vision of the future where dainty dresses and unabashed prettiness provide the antidote to gloom. Even the collection’s smallest item, a hand-stitched lavender face mask covered in fabric flowers, alluded to the importance of joy.
