On a recent trip to Ischia, Bibhu Mohapatra visited La Mortella Gardens and found the color palette for his resort collection. It is part of the estate once occupied by the British composer Sir William Walton and his green-thumbed Argentinian wife Susanna, who worked with the landscape architect Richard Page to create its subtropical wonder.
The creation of the retreat on rocky and elevated terrain was literally an uphill battle, and for the past few seasons it has felt that Mohapatra has been struggling to find his footing as well. The fall collection looked like tug of war between Mohapatra the designer and Mohapatra the retailer. (The brand has recently moved into new headquarters that will house an atelier and selling space.) Resort finds him going in many directions at once, and the result is that a collection that fails to come together as a whole. How a pink cotton boho dress and a light as air embellished mesh dress coexist isn’t clear; they read as one-offs rather than part of a connected narrative.
If you look at Mohapatra’s body of work, his preference for geometries is evident. Squares cut into a skirt self-drape asymmetrically at both sides. A two-tone black and green dress with sharply cut inserts has a refreshingly straightforward graphic appeal. A white column gown with horizontal bust darts and a fringed cape back was similarly focused on construction rather than embellishment. But this was a heavy collection overall. Dripping sleeves and floor-sweeping hems are more likely to drag the wearer down rather than set her free.
