Ralph & Russo Autumn-Winter 2016/2017 haute couture fashion show told nature’s story with a mesmerizing collection. Read our review and view the gallery.
Review | Collection
At the first glance, the latest Ralph & Russo Autumn-Winter 2016/2017 haute couture collection seemed like the natural but small progression from the previous Spring Summer 2016 collection. Similar colors and silhouettes. But dive deeper into the details, and there’s so much more to it than meets the eye.
The collection was inspired by nature’s enthralling beauties – flowers, leaves, butterflies. And certainly, viewing the fashion show was like being in an enchanted garden. Some gowns burst with bunches of floral blooms, and some like white clouds.
The designers’ signature elements like soft pastel palette, applique over sheer fabrics, capes and layered silhouettes were certainly present. There were many fresh elements, too, amongst which hats were the most noticeable.
Oversized fedora hats of different shapes accompanied many outfits. Quite the eye-catchers, some were solid-hued and others patterned. Laser-cut fabric and applique was yet another technique that set a new, contemporary mood.
One of my favorite dresses used black and grey laser-cut butterflies appliqued over a sheer black gown, adding three-dimensional points of interest:
The silhouettes included gowns, pants, jackets, mini and midi-dresses, asymmetric dresses worn with knee-high boots. A sheath gown had a scarf that extended to form a floor-touching cape. Some dresses were structured, others were flowy and romantic. Bustiers and long, free-flowing lines made the whole collection really feminine.
Slits and shimmer creating interesting, dynamic movements. The color palette ranged from tonal black and whites to pastels including lilac, sky blue and nude to the deeper hues like navy and burgundy.
Here’s yet another one of my favorite gowns, that uses lilac layers contouring the bodice:
Most of the gowns had long trains, as did most of them appear to be quite show-stopper-y! Layered and poofy gowns came towards the end, which I really loved:
Ralph & Russo Autumn-Winter 2016/2017 Couture Collection: Gallery
Shilpa Ahuja the editor-in-chief of ShilpaAhuja.com, which she founded with the goal of inspiring confidence in the modern working woman through fashion. Other than defining the direction of the magazine, she also writes about fashion & beauty trend forecasts, industry analysis, and opinions.
Shilpa’s work has been published in the University of Fashion blog and Jet Airways magazine. She is also an artist, illustrator and cartoonist. She is also the creator of Audrey O., a comic series that represents the lifestyle of millennial women. She enjoys creative writing and world travel. Her art has been exhibited at Harvard Graduate School of Design and the Aroma Hotel, Chandigarh and been published in Chandigarh Times.
Originally from Chandigarh, Shilpa also has a degree in architecture and has worked in interior project management. She is also the author of the book “Designing a Chinese Cultural Center in India”. Shilpa has a Masters in Design Studies degree from Harvard University.
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