“Armor” might not be the first word one would use to describe Greta Constantine’s colorful spring collection—but it’s what designer Kirk Pickersgill had in mind when creating his new offering of upbeat formal wear. “When you think of the word armor, you think of clothes that are there to protect you,” he says. “But when women go out, the clothing they put on is also the number one thing they want to be seen in; it gives you that air of confidence.”
His sculptural gowns are certainly created with the intention of being noticed. Focusing on his luxe materials—silks, satins, bardos—Pickersgill drew inspiration from glamorous figures like Diana Vreeland and Roxie Roker for his spring shapes, creating dresses that are meant to make an entrance at a party. (Many of his clientele buy his pieces for important galas.) “They were amazing style icons,” Pickersgill said of his seasonal muses. “[Roxie] used to wear clothes that had volume—not in a robust way, but in the amount of fabric used.”
The designer aimed to create pieces that commanded space without quite literally being exaggerated in proportion. Take his purple strapless gown, ruched at the knees to give it an hourglass shape. Or his black off-the-shoulder dress with a sculptural wavy neckline. These pieces had just the right amount of drama, though elsewhere Pickersgill couldn’t help himself from getting carried away, like with his tiered ruffle mini dress in salmon pink—a frock worthy of a modern-day Marie Antoinette.
His bright, zingy colors worked best on more refined silhouettes, like the streamlined long-sleeved jumpsuit (in lemon yellow). The designer also toyed with texture, adding three-dimensional flower petals to jersey maxi dresses—either on the neckline, or as trim. Florals? For spring? Maybe not groundbreaking, but they were perfectly pretty nonetheless.
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