Many will have noticed, as summer edged toward fall, that Rajwa Al-Saif, for her engagement to Crown Prince Hussein of Jordan, posted an official portrait in which she wore a white dress by Andrew Gn. It was simple, modern, and understated—but not overly conservative. The moment spoke volumes.
“I like the idea of doing fashion bridal, not conservative bridal,” Gn said during a recent showroom visit. He also likes the idea of fashion weddings, when a runaway bride gets married in a caftan in Bali or a bride in Iceland wears some funky embroidered marabou coat or a bride at a destination wedding in India dons lots of crystal embellishments. Stay tuned for more news in that department.
Meanwhile, Gn has been doing a brisk business in rehearsal and guest dresses, a less stressful category for all concerned. “There are enough people out there doing poufy dresses,” he quipped. “We want to keep things sophisticated and relaxed.”
Gn speaks to a very specific consumer, though she comes in all shapes and sizes (from 0 to 24). She’s a woman who, he said, wants to focus on important things, like traveling, whether to physical places or in her mind. Or—why not?—through time: the farther away from the headlines, the better.
Regardless of actual destinations, there were plenty of options in Gn’s spring collection, aptly named Voyage AGN. Anchored in the ’60s and ’70s (“When people were truly happy,” he said), it channeled an haute bohemian sense of hope.
Gn’s base will thrill to signatures like trompe l’oeil lacing with jeweled clasps, a modernized take on a dress from his Victorian collection (minus the bow, plus crystals), and bone-structured sleeves with hand-tacked plissé. Statement pieces such as a black car coat or a white Spencer were tricked out in fuchsia paisley trim (with or without those signature pleated cuffs). Almost-naive flowers in vintage silk velvet and silk satin were embroidered with black jets and sequins for a couture-level limited run of 30 jackets that recalled stained glass. Each one of those is unique, a way of “using what you have in the fridge to put out a meal,” the foodie designer noted.
Elsewhere, a “very Anjelica Huston” sleeveless cheongsam in emerald Fortuny pleats was a showstopper among plenty of other options that nodded to the film In the Mood for Love. Dresses with necklace embellishments took one-and-done to the next level. Slouchy pajama pants, a new look for the designer, whispered relaxed elegance. Prints extrapolated from 19th-century English chintz dallied with psychedelic paisley: Not an obvious marriage, but it worked.
For Gn, multiple currents and riots of color are a way of signaling optimism for the future. “It’s the only way to be,” he said.
