“It was about how I can understand something you always change for 25 years.” That said Lee Mathews from her resort 2026 collection, which celebrated the 25 -year anniversary of her namesake label. It was indeed a line -up full of her classic silhouettes: carefree and elegant, very feminine, architectural and romantic, but never delicate. It is a balancing act, and Mathews has done it again this season. “The kind of woman I usually think about – she is not vulnerable; so the clothing can be delicate and beautiful, but they need the personality; the clothing is strengthened by the personality of the real person,” she explained. That appeared in the track jacket and long boardshorts that mathews turned into a gauzy blouse and maxi-skirt.
This season, Mathews worked with the artist Nina Walton, who created hand -painted plaids and a beautiful brush stroke Polka Stip that appeared on a simple asymmetrical dress with a ruffles. “I got one of her pieces as a birthday present – an important birthday, okay? A milestone – and then I thought this woman is doing beautiful things, I would like to contact us,” said Mathews. “So now we are friends.”
Movement was a strong part of her offer this season, and while some of the light and airy fabrics, such as the cotton used for an A-Line Blouse, Malmd and waved in every step, others bounced up and down. Hope skirts are an idea that costumes in the hands of almost everyone could look like, but here they saw overly modern. Mathews worked with Renata Brenha on their design. “I suppose the idea is that it is a foundation piece and it is shown,” said Mathews. “The test piece became his own piece, we never made one.”
In fact, the predominance of white and broken white pieces in the collection comes down to how much she appreciated the toil while they were made. “I love a collection when there is just a whole rail full of white things, cream things, things that are half made and you just think, wow wouldn’t it be fun to do that only once? So we did it.”