Crisp white Bermuda shorts and swishing A-line skits were just the beginning. Vera Wang describes her Spring/Summer ’13 collection as “paying homage to the romantic beauty and sensuality of India.” It started as a wash of white, with a play on texture, thanks to cotton canvas and soutache embroidery, and quickly snowballed into pure opulence. Just improper enough to reflect the thrill of the untamed East.
Nothing was too buttoned-up (not even the button-up vest and jackets, given an air of regality with their sweeping curves). The texture of guipere suddenly made Bermuda shorts exciting, but it was the overwhelming explosion of jewel tones that caused eyes to widen. Sheer lace over shades of cobalt and amethyst created skirts with unprecedented raciness, and rouched, folded party dresses hung off the shoulders as if the models had been caught in the middle of a secret rendevous. Cypress-green damask popped off the runway, and a certain standout really captured by gaze: a navy, hand-pieced, chantilly-lace sheath dress.
High on sheen and toying with notions of old-world elegance (think the British upper-crust living it up in colonial India), Vera’s languid pajama trousers, uplifted dancing skirts, and perky tulip silhouettes made the show feel like a classy party that was about to break free into something wild. Sure enough, the shoes summed it up: prima-ballerina platform, big on volume and satin-sheen, hint the celebration is only getting started.