If there’s an air of period drama hanging over AWAKE this fall, it’s no coincidence: Natalia Alaverdian has been immersing herself in the Renaissance lately. Her algorithm-driven encounter with Barry Lyndon, The Favorite, Elizabeth and Orlando had to filter through it somehow. “It’s not just the costumes, I thought the atmosphere was very impressive,” the designer noted during a showroom visit. “It’s almost modern in a way.” She said of those kitten heel trouser boots: “There’s a crazy duchess aura about them.”
Alaverdian says that when she thinks about a collection, she thinks about it piece by piece, not by theme. Tight bodices with dramatic bell sleeves and square necklines were crafted from upcycled denim sourced in bulk from Spain or the Netherlands. Movement was another important consideration, for example in cascades of flat fringes on dresses or on a bodice above a full, paneled skirt.
In a season dominated by cargo, a pair studded with snaps can be both upright and decorative, or also functional, as a closure for square small bags. The designer also delved deeply into hybridization: what looks like the back of a jacket is actually a peplum on a plaid top that can be tied at the back and paired with trousers with a front slit. Pattern and texture came in the form of sailor stripes (tilted about 20 degrees on a bias-cut jersey dress) or a studded parka/cape with an integrated scarf.
Knitwear made in Ukraine included a number with strands of thread instead of cuffs, another in waffled knit with a contrasting rosette, or a chunky high-neck sweater and matching jersey gloves. Those pieces, as well as a red-brown vegan leather dress with a pleated skirt, tied neatly into runway trends. With only a few exceptions (the Musketeer pants, for example, were hard to imagine on the street), the outing offered plenty of statement pieces as a base.
