The new collection from Osman Yousefzada (whose label is now called just “Osman”, possibly because the fash industry was incapable of saying his Afghan surname) felt short and sharp, possibly because the clothes were all riffs on the theme of white, and although inspirations from around the globe seemed to abound, the supremely restrained colour palette held it together. Against the background of completely pure white, even the patches and splashes of glimmering gold looked muted and discreet.
In some ways this show felt like a polite refusal to join in with the other children. While fashion gets into its 80s swing and the shoulder becomes king, Osman sent a deeply 90s slinky maxi dress down the catwalk, with one white, square pocket and one gold one. Some garments featured a cut-out where the shoulder should be, which my next-door neighbour at the show, Debbie from Tank magazine, whispered was like the “anti-shoulder”, a snub to Balmainia.
This was certainly not a blingy collection despite the gold, and the 90s reminders persisted with capri trousers, crinkle blouses and nautical rope details. As for silhouettes, as well as chic Orange County grandma, there were prim Park Avenue princesses in coats and polo shirts, as well as the hint of the Middle East and North Africa in the beaten quality of the gold, in rings around models’ ankles and necks and in the undone shapes of tunics and long dresses.
Osman’s inspiration was in fact Wallis Simpson, the woman who lured away a king, visiting President Nixon. It’s hard to imagine that meeting in general, let alone occurring in these clothes, but perhaps this is the wardrobe of a worldly American in the Henry James vein, a far cry from the brash stereotype of the American tourist and instead beautiful, charming, interested in the world and yet conservative in comparison to her European cousins.
The strength of this collection was in its refusal to follow current manias and it felt a step apart from the recent explorations into the dark and the gothic by many designers. Quietly confident shapes and the use of soft but resilient-looking fabrics, which looked much prettier and more wearable away from the harsh flashes of the professional photographers. The fabrics were made possible by Osman’s collaboration with a new Italian fabric company and the quality shows in a collection that resists either sexiness or girly prettiness and instead prefers to be worn by women who make history.
Tags:
lfw, LFW 09, London Fashion Week, Osman Yousefzada
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