This season, fashion has largely chosen to respond to the current socio-political and economic chaos with a kind of peaceful protest, expressed in softness and beauty. These qualities are of course often found in lingerie, which Anna October is always inspired by. “I’m constantly thinking about the female body and femininity and how we can use clothes as liberating tools,” she said during a walk-through. So soft power.
That October and its Ukraine-based team remain confident despite the unimaginable challenges they face is remarkable and commendable. Some people find solace in gardening; this season it was part of October’s inspiration. Top of mind were “life cycles” and how a garden “blooms, then dies and then new things come,” she explained. “I think that in times of great changes in the world, in times of disasters, the only way to stay healthy and continue to grow as a person is to build something beautiful.”
How does the October garden grow for spring? The signature tulip bra detail was back. Some of the silk, bias-cut slips had tiny embroidered floral beads that were as delicate as the hand-painted porcelain (think Meissen) they referenced. A more personal memory of the blooming Linden in May resulted in an embroidery of that flower. Several crochet dresses had hanging flowers.
There were also some then/now hybrids for spring. Sometimes it feels like October is in dialogue with Madeleine Vionnet as she refines and refines her bias-cut slip dresses. “I’m constantly developing that dress,” she noted. A black and white number could be for a later Joan Crawford, just like the first look with what is perhaps the most sensual back of the season, with arches inspired by Kiev architecture, updates that brought a Jean Harlow vibe to a way that felt now rather than vintage.
There were also playful looks: see a meringue-like pink bustier paired with a full skirt with a dropped shoulder yoke with ruffles. The last three looks spoke to a more subdued and refined aesthetic. A gold-knit dress that a colleague said was fit for a Joan of Arc was knitted from yarn so fine it resembled metal mesh. More romantic, yet somehow understated, was an embellished cape of almost translucent Japanese taffeta.
In addition to the airy and smooth materials she usually favors, October used jersey, which clings to the body instead of sliding over it like satin, to create a long white dress with a tank silhouette that extended down to a triangular basque waist from which the soft gathered fabric falls. This look was an invitation to dance, to glide through the world with confidence and grace. It was attentive, body-conscious, not demure – and all the better for it.