Lael Osness S/S 2010

Thursday night’s show at the Banke began with the edgy premier Spring/Summer 2010 collection from Lael Osness. The designer described her line as layered with mid century shaped collection with a mix of textures and silhouettes.

This was a smart collection, well thought out and fairly cohesive. The use of colour was far from over the top, bright yet subtle, with a powerful use of earthy purple and royal blue tones to stabilize the palette.

Several pieces stood out and appear wearable. A grey pencil skirt with royal purple ruffled detailing on the pockets paired with a sheer chiffon purple top with ruffled shoulders reveal a collection of innovation and good design. The cummerbund styling seen throughout the collection was an appealing detail, particularly in the orange bubble bottomed skirt with a long-sleeved splash print top and billowy shoulders.

Finally, a futuristic, metallic lime green bubble dress with a single shoulder strap was unquestionably distinct and one of the more attention-grabbing pieces in the collection.

Well done for a first collection, Lael Osness would need to fine tune in order to attain perfection. Certain pieces appeared unfinished, for instance, the lining on a pencil skirt peaking from underneath and a few visibly rushed hems. Moreover, care should be taken with the finishing on dresses’ closures to ensure evenness and no gaps.

Fit would come into question with this collection as straps shifted on models as well as the deep “V” cuts on dresses that plunged too deep. Skirts would take take to the models bodies in a shapely manner however, which is sometimes difficult for young designers to grasp.

All in all, there was an impressive amount of work done with this collection. Ultimately, attention to finishing will only improve the line for the future.

By Sandra Cross Bussoli

Photos by David Austin © 2009