There are a handful of images that have inspired designer Rachel Scott since she launched her brand Diotima in 2021. Two of them are 19th-century photos of women in Jamaica by a river, wearing the kind of long-sleeve, waist-cinching dresses that Scott references. “I kept thinking about her, and I wanted to title the collection ‘River Mumma,’ which is the Jamaican term for mermaid,” Scott said. “She’s the same type of mermaid as a siren.” So, a seductress? “Yes, but also kind of protective.”
That balance between concealing and revealing is evident throughout Scott’s work. While crystal-covered mesh dresses and tops have become her most recognizable pieces, her playful patternmaking is not to be overlooked. For instance, a high-neck, buttery viscose dress with long sleeves has an open back, and much of her tailoring (typically boxy or oversized) has crochet inserts or overlays to add depth and flashes of skin.
The River Mumma collection has a dreamy, pacific quality that’s not overly nautical. But Scott’s signature doily crochets (which are handmade by a team of Jamaican artisans that Scott knows personally) are reminiscent of fishing nets. Though when they’re cascading off of skirts or shirts, the effect is more like a fin, or a scale. Many of the pieces in this collection are familiar, as if Scott is honing her signatures.
One of those styles that deserves more attention is the cotton poplin Peplos dress. Aesthetically, it’s connected to the photo of the woman standing in the river that Scott has always been drawn to. The skirt is draped in a way that looks like the wearer could just be holding it up to keep it out of the way. It never clings to the body, despite the open back. This season, she’s done it in a jumbo eyelet fabrication, which underscores the protective, seductive nature of the siren.
