They say inspiration can strike anywhere, anytime. For Anna Quan’s resort collection, lightning struck in the most unlikely place: a food court. “I was sitting down [there] and I saw this water feature in the skylight that made me feel really calm,” she recalled laughing backstage after the show. “It was just water bending light and I thought, ‘oh maybe that feels like a refuge.'”
The opening look, a yellow lace dress with a pleated bodice, indeed had the soothing effect of beautiful light. Lace dresses seem to be an Australian favorite, both on and off the catwalk, and that yellow number, along with a few pieces of white beaded lace that came later, were without a doubt the best expression of the trend. A colorful print with bold accents in blue, yellow and black was a fresh interpretation of the refractions that inspired her, as were the super-bright knitted pieces in electric moss green and peacock blue.
Quan explained that she starts each season by looking at the “unfinished business” from the previous season. “There were a number of dresses we couldn’t make that combined two different mediums,” she said. And there they were: a structured strapless dress made from a black Japanese yoru fabric with a metallic thread woven through it making it sparkle in the light with an underlay of a lighter yoru fabric, and a dress with an easy dropped waist and a black knit bodice and fringed skirt made from strips of fabric with black and white polka dots that danced as the model walked. “From the water, we wanted to convey the idea of gentle movement,” Quan added.
