“The beauty of nature is ultimately about simplicity, no matter how complex the processes regulating the functions of each living organism.” So reasoned Daniel Delcore, a designer whose passion is to explore the remote wilderness in which rare specimens of flora proliferate and mutate.
Searching for clarity and more “natural” visuals, for his Del Core resort he worked on balancing the elaborate aesthetic he favors with what he called “the refinement of weightlessness.” Delcore’s creations have always veered towards the sci-fi opulent—grand sculptural gestures with a dash of fantasy glamour. You certainly don’t go to the label to buy an athleisure tracksuit; yet even occasion dressing and red carpet flamboyance are now shifting in a “quieter” direction. His new collection was an exercise in fine-tuning his instincts to the shift to the essential that dominates today’s fashion climate.
While retaining its inventive character, the lineup offered a streamlined translation of Delcore’s proclivity for the architectural. Dimensional ruching, couture cocoon shapes, elaborate drapings, and dramatic silhouettes were rendered in malleable fabrications that softened their sculptural impact. A flower he found on a hike in Costa Rica served as a template for the bustier of a column dress in ivory jersey; the pitch-black liquid surface of a billowy parachute parka in lightweight nylon suggested the damp feel of a rainforest. Intended as an updated version of an opera coat, it looked arresting worn over a long, sinuous mermaid skirt.
Elsewhere, textures were treated as decorative canvases, where the designer experimented on abstract renderings of naturalistic motifs. A standout was a blown-out flower pattern sprayed over a chrysalis jacquard dress in tones of green, black, and mercury silver. It looked like a carpet of moss, lichens, and ferns had mutated into an evening gown.
