With a winning spring collection Ladislav Zdút and his team are redefining power dressing for today. Their iteration—executed in Nehera’s signature neutrals and enlivened with strokes of persimmon, yellow, and royal blue—is softly structured and smart, with interesting textures and asymmetries. A blazer has one lapel and uneven seams; a two-piece jacket can be worn as half a garment or a whole. Nicely styled, the lookbook makes the argument for layering shirts and wearing skirts over pants.
The collection takes its title, Powershift, from a 1990 book of the same name by sociologist and futurist Alvin Toffler. Throughout history, says Zdút, women have traditionally adapted elements of menswear, particularly exaggerated shoulders, when assuming positions of power; this season he wanted to “underline the new feminine confidence,” and demonstrate that power “need not necessarily be expressed by exaggerated shoulders.”
One of the most pleasing aspects of this offering is how beautifully it reconciles its contradictions: It borrows functional elements from menswear and uniforms, and uses them to express femininity; catering to city dwellers, it takes inspiration from nature. (The lovely floral print is a collaboration with Juraj Straka, a textile designer from Bratislava who is based in Antwerp.) Effortless is an overused word in fashion, but that’s the vibe of this breezy collection.
