Anna October, who is known and celebrated for her sensual lingerie and Old-Hollywood style dresses, wanted to move beyond pretty this season. One way she did so was by adding black leather—in the form of a corset and a coat—to her repertoire. “I was thinking about power plays, about BDSM, female empowerment and also the giving of power and the taking of power,” said the designer on a walk-through, adding that she still wanted to keep the collection charming and light. That she did with dresses like the opening look: a cocoa chiffon gown with cape sleeves, a daring plunge neck, and delicate flowers hand-embroidered in the studio in Kyiv. A long-sleeve bias-cut column in snow white that featured a twisted detail at the waist had the elegance of a classical sculpture. That same technique was applied to a semi-sheer red dress that had another twist at the neckline that revealed one shoulder.
Slip dresses, and pieces with the brand’s signature tulip cups continue to be best-sellers, October reported. Adding novelty to the former category, tulle godets were added to the skirt of a black evening number with diamond-shaped inserts of dotted satin at the chest. The designer found a new way to play with lingerie references by threading fabric through bra sliders. She used these straps on an ivory cable back with an unexpected open back, and a charming LBD with a neat bodice and an ankle-length poufed skirt. The designer might experiment more with volumes in future collections. But for fall, her thoughts were on “the idea of the trench coat on the naked body.” There were two of these borrowed-from-the-boys wardrobe staples in the offering, one in a lingerie pink satin, the other in inky black leather. Of the woman she imagines wearing these, October said, with a smile, “she’s not a dominatrix, but she’s thinking about it—she’s trying to figure it out.”
October, who lives between London and Kyiv, where she manages to keep a studio going, seems to have a knack for problem-solving. The lookbook was photographed in a building that long ago was home to a department store. “I did everything in Kyiv,” the designer said “and it was quite challenging… it is always a journey.” Through her collections, we are invited to be part of the adventure as October continues to power forward and develop her “date-ready brand.”
