Styling Zambesi SS12

Sure, you loved playing dress-ups with your dolls. But what if your dolls were walking, talking, living dol…Red 11 Models, and you get to dress them in Zambesi’s summer collection? Exactly. We couldn’t resist, either…

So when the invitation came to style the upcoming Spring Summer 2012-13 collection from Zambesi on models at the old Vulcan Lane store, I was excited. Whilst their clothes are gorgeous on their own – and Zambesi’s have particularly good hanger appeal and some of the best quality fabrics in the country – there’s nowt to compare with seeing it on humans.

Models Andrey Sukhomlinov and Widika Sidmore were the patient – and good-natured even after hours of being stripped and shot – models.

Hair was styled by Stephen Marr and make-up by M.A.C.

To save time, they wore nude undergarments to layer clothes on top of. Zambesi’s Liz Findlay told me they’re putting these into production, as real women also need good foundation pieces to layer their (very often sheer) sweet little somethings over. This is totally representative of how they have their finger on the pulse of knowing what their customer wants. Why risk losing a sale to a woman who thinks a summery slip looks too see-through, when you can sell the dress, peace of mind, and an undergarment to her? Great sense.

Below: some of the signature fabrics for summer; expect lots of texture and print, including a camo lace and an oversized spot.