Reem Acra is convinced that the world is going to bounce back in 2023. She’s been hearing whispers of a slow return to normal as her customers continue to buy her pieces—and there is not a leisurely piece in sight in the Acra-verse. People have been consistently purchasing her gowns, which the designer believes are most likely for under-the-radar parties. In her fall 2022 collection, themed around a midnight party in a forest, she emphasized some of that party-going comeback with a modest iteration of a hit shirt dress. The piece felt like the embodiment of inching back to parties: It was simple yet elevated with a gem-encrusted rope belt and peasant sleeves, and an embellished strip of fabric at the cuff.
Of course, there were also Acra’s tried-and-true megawatt creations, this time darker and moodier. Some of the stand-outs included a red-carpet-ready, body-skimming black dress with a sheer center that was embroidered with jewels in the shape of leaves. Acra excels at drama, which she certainly brought with another show-stopping number, a dress that was cut out at the side and swooped below the chest and under the navel and down the hip as if someone had taken a bite out of it.
Acra also chose to pair the collection with gloves, unquestionably the accessory of the moment. They fit in quite nicely, see a lace pair styled with a silver brocade minidress, and managed to give a saucy effect to a silver caftan which otherwise would have been quite modest. Sure, the party circuit isn’t quite back to normal but at least Acra’s collection gives a little hope.
