Architectural Alexandra

Upholstery seems to have been the inspiration for this collection from Alexandra Owen AW 2011 with piped and stuffed collars, beautiful tucking and covered buttoning on oversized pocketsall in a subdued colour palette…

Alexandra Owen AW 2011
NZ Fashion Week 22 September 2010

Choosing to use a double runway, Alexandra Owen did things entirely her own way, as usual, right from the start. Two models came down at the same time, in different coloured versions of the same garment.

Upholstery seems to have been the inspiration for this collection with piped and stuffed collars (the latter working better than the former) and beautiful tucking and covered buttoning.

Below: a piped and stuffed collar in a silvery chintzy fabric.

The colour palette was subdued with greys, blues, plums and a hint of bronze. She also used the gorgeous sand washed silks that are used so well in her upcoming summer 10/11 collection.

The deceptively simple (which seems to apply to all of her work) silk shift dresses with the tucking and buttoning detail on the oversized pockets were one of my favourites, as well as the same tucking detail used without the buttons used on jackets and trousers.

Her detailing on sleeves is impeccable with a restrained leg o’ mutton sleeve shirt and a capping detail on one of the wool flannel jackets.

I liked the long fitted floor length dresses, one in cream and one in black with a beaded digital print detail. The randomly (but very cleverly) tucked long coat in the dull black leopard print jacquard was also a stand out.

Referencing back to her current summer collection – the shift dresses both long and short with the collar detailing – were just beautiful.

The first time Alexandra Owen showed at Fashion Week, we were completely wowed by her competence and detail. And then the following year, she did it again. And then this year she has turned out another amazing collection for summer.

This winter hasn’t surpassed her earlier work but I think we are in danger of expecting her to simply do this without recognising how young (just 28) she is, and that this is really only the start of her career. She has done all this, and also made quite an impression at New York Fashion Week with The Huffington Post saying she had ‘inventive and superlative tailoring.’ And really, I couldn’t have said it better myself.

By Anya Brighouse
Photography Kevin Robinson