Hands up anyone who can remember their summer holidays?
Christopher Esber’s spring collection was dedicated to desk dwellers with half an eye on their next vacation. Known for his deconstructed tailoring, the designer introduced a sensual dimension to his clothes via a tropical color palette and exotic materials.
His suits came with panels attached to the back of the jacket like sails, or sarong-like flowing pants. A lilac shirt was unbuttoned to the navel, its sleeves slit and wrapped around the waist, while the hem of a white shirt peeked out from under saffron micro shorts.
Esber took his cue from beach dressing with a towel-like white dress covered in buttons, and loosely draped ones tucked into bikini bottoms or held up with pieces of wind chimes. Baggy pants were covered in fish scales, cleaned and dyed to look like sequins, while a striped robe coat mimicked the texture of a coconut.
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“It was quite a tactile season. You almost felt like I was on an island playing with the elements and bringing them together into pieces,” Esber said backstage.
The Sydney-based designer, whose fans include Zendaya and Dua Lipa, has benefited from closer collaboration with specialized workshops in Paris since winning the ANDAM Fashion Award last year. “Just being able to tap into a network and ask questions when needed has been really amazing,” he said.
While not every idea was a winner — jersey dresses draped over molded breastplates felt a little derivative — this lineup was rife with pieces that will live in wardrobes well after the summer sun has gone.