Collections are the cornerstone of every designer’s career, and a great amount of time and effort goes into drafting, reviewing, creating and showcasing them. It is not every collection that makes you do a double take, but Sevon Dejana’s Spring Summer 2016 look book caught my attention, and made me stop, take a good look and think long and hard about what the designer was trying to portray.
It is telling that the collection is a combination of old pieces from their 2015 capsule collection, remade in the new collection’s palette with new entries following the same inspiration (great women like Joan of Arc.) The monochromatic scheme, three dimensional flowers and embroidery featuring floral and creeping vine motifs makes the overall look very cohesive, and I can only imagine how long it took to do all the beading. The collection seems to go for maximum aesthetic value, has a certain red carpet air to it, with some sheer paneling, plunging V-necklines and a high slit (is that really a slit?) for sex appeal, but that’s about where the fun ends.
Take away the beading and embroidery, and you are left with a very bland, poorly constructed and highly impractical collection.
It is meant for Spring/Summer but considering the season, with the heat, rains and resulting humidity, the clothes in this collection only make sense if your greatest concern is being bitten by mosquitoes. The fabrics are largely synthetic (hence, not breathable), some of the long, floor-cleaning skirts seem too narrow to walk in, there are three dresses that have turtlenecks, and why would anyone need a cape in summer? Where are you going, in humid, 28 to 32-degrees (on average) weather that requires all that covering?
We don’t get.
The construction of some of the pieces also leaves a lot to be desired. There is pulling at seams (please check thread tension), boxy-cut panels for the cloaks, the trouser-lengths are ridiculous (you will definitely have to pick them up to avoid stepping on them), and what is that removable shoulder-covering-whatever on the peplum dress? What does it do? Why is it not part of the dress? Yes, the embroidery makes for good eye candy and the somewhat regal appearance might work for someone who dresses to stand out, but there seems to be little else to discuss when considering construction, cuts, silhouettes or finishing.
If your ideal clothes to wear during Spring and Summer (basically rainy season in sub-Saharan Africa) involve sweating, cleaning the floor or hobbling like an elegant penguin, then this is the collection for you. Otherwise, invest in some Ituen Basi or anyone else who looks like they know what they’re doing.