For spring, Ingie Chalhoub paid tribute to Frida Kahlo’s multifaceted, multitalented personality. Strength in the face of physical frailty, folk art and feminism provided a rich referential framework for the collection, dubbed “An Ode to Life,” which juxtaposed sharp lines and bright colors with romantic elements like macramé and lace, taking the label in a more contemporary direction.
While perhaps overly literal in symbolism, leather harnesses provided structure over frills of plumetis lace, modernizing the silhouette. Less obvious and in a more brutalist register, leather strapping on a pair of black pants paired with a Victorian-style blouse worked well.
Corsets heightened the voluminous proportions of a pleated skirt in psychedelic stripes that nodded to Mexican handicrafts. A black leather skirt embroidered with tiny pearls to form rows of flowers was another example of how Chalhoub took her embellished designs into new territory this season.