Mother of Pearl AW17

Mother of Pearl debuted their fall/winter 2017 collection this week in London (which means that it's already for sale online). The show was a breath of fresh air - timely and grounded, ephemeral at times and enchanting at others - even against the backdrop of bright, retro florals and raffia accessories shown by other labels this month.

​To be sure, creative director Amy Powney didn't avoid florals entirely, but they were richer and more sophisticated - tulips and chrysanthemums instead of daisies and roses. Outfits felt warm but not heavy, comfortable but not homely, luxurious but not overwrought. Two black and gold jacquard ensembles (with matching pillow purses) were followed by outfits in heavy, luxurious blacks: a jacquard jumpsuit over a chunky sweater, a thick velvet dress with shimmery ruffles running down the sleeve, yielding an interesting, if not somewhat imposing, silhouette. Two denim pieces were reminiscent of spring 2017, but then we were pulled gently back into the cold, London winter, with a resplendent overcoat in a deep violet (but slightly translucent) damask over a blouse and trousers in navy silk. Oversized sweaters, scarves, blazers and coats followed, some with ruffles running down the side, like elegant, sporty cuttlefish. 

​A series of three white looks back-to-back demonstrated Ms. Powney's wide-ranging talent. A delicate white dress, elegant in its simplicity and immanently wearable, was followed by a wide-leg ivory jumpsuit, layered over a ribbed sweater. It could have been a wedding dress (at a progressive wedding). The model carried a white clutch in the form of a throw pillow, a whimsical accessory that was shown in multiple fabrics, prints and sizes. The third outfit might have been worn by an executive (in a progressive office). The wide legged trousers, narrowed into severe pleats pierced with pearl-tipped bars, pointing up to a boxy jacket whose arms were attached by a frayed seam, a nod to the exquisite ambivalences that have emerged as an overarching theme at Mother of Pearl since Ms. Powney took the reins in 2015. In this particular outfit, the sleeves gave the appearance of molting.

My two favorite looks featured coats with this same seam. The first, a dark green wool coat over a tulip print silk blouse and pants; the second, maybe my favorite look so far from this season's ongoing fashion month, was a maroon coat over a tiered off-white sweater and slinky, knitted pants. Each outfit embodied the juxtapositions on display throughout the show: a tension between softness and structure, between comfort and anxiety, between completed plans and works in progress. Pearls nestled in each trough of the ruching where the sleeves met the body were evocative of the pins used to fix muslin to a mannequin, a specter of unfinished business.

Two looks in bright red - an oversized suit in red and white plaid, followed by red and white striped pajamas and a throw pillow clutch - were followed by two more outfits in a calm shade of pink, moving away from the so-called millennial pink that's been everywhere the past few years, without falling back on bubblegum or (god forbid) neon. The show ended with, essentially, a maroon silk onesie with another elegant flower print what might be the most comfortable looking quilted smoking jacket (at least, that's how I'd wear it) I've ever seen.

Much has been written this season of the socio-political climate we've found ourselves stuck in. Calvin Klein was seen as offering a pessimistic response. Burberry, on the other hand, was interpreted as an upbeat and optimistic counterpoint to the expected cultural enervations of Brexit. I can't say for sure, of course, whether Mother of Pearl was designed with any particular social commentary in mind, but by foregrounding progress, it reminds us that even though there's a lot of work to be done, we don't have to lose sight of what's beautiful.

(All images via vogue.com.)