With a label as interesting as Ghana’s Charlotte Prive, there’s always the gamble to outdo yourself, to step away from a tried and tested aesthetic and try out new things. This isn’t always a good idea, but it’s one that labels none the less are encouraged to adopt. After all, the point of high fashion is innovation, if not we’d still be unironically wearing bustles and jodphurs in 2016.
The label’s Spring 16 collection was one of our favorites of this year, rolled out with a massive media campaign that perfectly encapsulated its bohemian influences and its slights of whimsy, gossamer thin high low dresses and gypsy elements made it perfect for summer. The label tries to extend that winning formula into the new collection, doubling down on the whimsy and giving us a collection done almost entirely in lace. A distinctive machine knit lace is the foundation on which the new collection, contrasts of black and white lace comprising most of the collection. Off shoulder, long sleeved blouses, layered skirts, a divine shift dress, Charlotte Prive manages to craft some truly interesting things with their lace. But ultimately it isn’t enough to make this collection truly interesting. We’ve seen people do much more imaginative things with it.
The label tries to fill the vacuum in the collection with some discordant chiffon trumpet hem pants and belted blouses but they look so out of place from vibe of the remaining pieces that we end up getting the distinct impression that Charlotte Prive tried to slap two very different collections into one non-cohesive whole.
This is a falter that we hope the label will recoup from next season. Until then, we wait.
