Paul Andrew has spared a thought for hard-working women, pulling together a collection inspired by them and by Carl Jung’s traditional female archetypes, from the mother to the huntress to the mystic. “A modern woman often has to be all of these things on any given day,” said the designer, whose mood board pictured the likes of Sharon Stone, Nancy Pelosi and Oprah Winfrey.
There was a lot to take in, and the highlights included hefty knits, some of which doubled as dresses. They came embroidered with big, lush leaves, a pattern inspired by the scrapbooks of the late Fulvia Visconti Ferragamo, who headed up the brand’s silk accessories division. Those luscious leaves drifted onto cotton striped shirts and elegant belted coats with long, draped scarves.
Andrew’s shearlings — in chocolate or lipstick red — were sleek and fabulous while other coats and capes, in olive, gray wool or shapely leather, drummed up drama. Sheer, gossamer dresses were another standout as were the accessories: flat boots glittering with the brand’s double buckle; slip-on combat/Chelsea styles, or thigh-high, stretch leather versions of the classic Vara. The latter had molto va-va-voom.
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Other designs felt awkward — and added unnecessary bulk — to models’ figures: The corsets on tailored suits, the high, stiff waists on leather pants and the heavy-looking cuffs on a floor-length blue silk dress. Andrew’s modern ladies have lots to accomplish, and they need their clothes to lighten the load, not slow them down.