Gemma Arterton, Tinie Tempah and Suki Waterhouse dropped in on Daniella Issa Helayel’s ‘70s dream at Somerset House on Saturday night.
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Avocado greens, KitchenAid oranges and cobalt blues straight out of a mid-‘70s kitchen played across the silk jersey dresses. Little paisley dresses with matching leggings shared runway space with long, ditsy-floral-printed kaftans that wouldn’t have been out of place in Hair.
Several designs seemed fated for a Duchess, like the grass-green gown with centre ruching, not at all unlike a pink halter gown Catherine wore back when she was Kate. Naturally, that deep-v will have to go—ditto for the backless feature on an otherwise palace-prim red lace gown.
So far, so Issa. But then the show segued into a confusing flapper-dresses-and-fur-coats moment. A different vignette followed, of green lamé dresses with fur accents and brown embroidery. Blink, and you could have been at a different show. And why was that model carrying a fur pomander?
At the end of the show day, anyone could be forgiven for a momentary sense of dislocation. The crowd left confident that Issa’s trademark jerseys aren’t going anywhere—and curious to see what the designer tries next.
