Erin Fetherston

Just before fashion season gets under way every year, I make a little list of the shows I know will bring me a giddy surge of joy. Most prized names are always the same and magazines continue to devote features to these designers with religious energy. I’ve never really fantasised about going to a show although I’m sure it’s a powerful experience and an extraordinary event unparalleled in its intensity. I take the opportunity that the Internet provides to see everything, including the parties and going backstage, without having to wait. Well, I should also point out that until this year there never was a deluge of invitations but my ingenuity and endurance (non existent – haha) has made success possible and I am now manifestly a PR’s dream (for those who don’t know me, this is a touch of sarcasm). Yes, I have been asked to attend three of the best and most eagerly anticipated London shows but the prospects of attending are poor. I have a job and work long hours. Blogging does not pay the bills. My favoured investigative journalistic technique will therefore remain the Internet!
New York fashion week is coming to an end and boasted some big and interesting shows. Unsurprisingly, they were not commercially risky and on the whole repeatedly subdued. Rodarte was magnificent, Rag & Bone had uncomplicated and delicious pieces I would wear every day and Erin Fetherston was a triumph. She showed that she can do grown up looks with exquisite precision. I fell in love with her work the minute I was introduced to her clothes several years ago, in 2005 to be precise. At the time, she was the only designer who had the good idea to create a genuine dialogue between a world of fantasy and fashion. Every show was like a mini excursion into what might be called fashion fairyland. It was stimulating, original, youthful, graceful and delightful. She made an impact and demonstrated that she could create dresses that are like modern readings of classic whimsical children’s stories without being too overwhelming or overpowering. I have always found her distinctive dresses irresistible. Instead of prolonging her study of this magical world, she has recently embarked on a series of more “grown up” collections, offering a different richness of effect. It is more subtle. Erin Fetherston expertly and convincingly handles this new mood and has introduced a rhythm that is incredibly chic, sophisticated and cool. The occasional fairytale element can still be found, adding a striking contrast, and her attentiveness to details is perfect. She is the undisputed queen of dresses. This is true love.

All images courtesy of Style.com