There’s a body-con knit dress with a handkerchief hem in Monique Lhuillier’s fall collection that’s pretty, pink and decidedly not expensive. As such, it collects a number of themes explored in this offering. One of these is the designer’s increased focus on individual parts. Some of these are elegant daytime options, while others are for big evenings, such as a midriff-baring corset top with bows at the shoulders to pair with a matching ball skirt (or perhaps jeans).
Also striking is a pink tuxedo shirt paired with a slightly higher waisted slim skirt with side wrap, which is styled with rain boots. Lhuillier recently opened a store in London, her first in Europe, and the lookbook was shot in the English countryside, symbolically expanding her reach on ‘the sceptered island’. One of the designer’s preoccupations was to create a sense of ‘royalty’, which she conjured with ‘beautifully sculpted necklines’.
As remarkable as the finish of the embellished dresses is, it is the monochrome looks that best convey that sense of stateliness, as in a velvet column with a draped pink top, an emerald green off-the-shoulder dress that falls through the ribcage, a knitted LBD with a standing neckline, or a one-shoulder jumpsuit with a draped train. There are also Italian-made jackets, in ivory or the softest shades of pink, that you can wear over any of these dresses, adding a touch of unexpected casual chic to your formal wear.
