If there’s an air of period drama about A.W.A.K.E this fall, it’s no coincidence: Natalia Alaverdian has been immersing herself in the Renaissance of late. Her algorithm-fueled rendezvous with Barry Lyndon, The Favorite, Elizabeth, and Orlando were bound to filter through one way or the other. “It’s not just the costumes, I found the ambiance was very impactful,” the designer noted during a showroom visit. “It’s almost modern, in a way.” Of those pant boots with a kitten heel, she offered “there’s this crazy duchess aura about them.”
Alaverdian says that when she thinks about a collection, she does it by individual piece, not by theme. Tight bodices with dramatic bell sleeves and square necklines were worked in upcycled denim sourced in bulk from Spain or Holland. Movement was another key consideration, for example in cascades of flat fringes on dresses or on a bodice above a wide, paneled skirt.
In a season dominated by cargos, one pair studded with snap rivets could be either straight-up ornamental or else functional, as fastenings for boxy little pocket-bags. The designer also delved deep into hybridization: what looks like the back of a jacket is in fact a peplum on a checked top that fastens in back and pairs with split-front pants. Pattern and texture came in the form of sailor stripes (tilted about 20 degrees on a bias-cut jersey dress) or a studded parka/cape with an integrated scarf.
Knitwear made in Ukraine included one number with skeins of thread in lieu of cuffs, another in waffled knit with a contrasting rosette, or a chunky high-neck pullover with matching jersey gloves. Those pieces, as well as a dress in russet vegan leather with a pleated skirt, dovetailed neatly with runway trends. With only a few exceptions—the Musketeer pants, for instance, were hard to envisage in the street—the outing offered plenty of on-point pieces for its base.
