EVERYTHING BLOOMING

Words Arielle Chambers

Designer Liliana Casabal’s spring/summer 2016 collection, Morgane Le Fay, illuminated Hudson Studios during New York Fashion Week. Prior to the beginning of the show, the sunset peaked through the open space, cascading over the hanging makeshift clouds inside, taking the audience within Casabal’s Californian paradise vision for the collection.

The poetry of Rilke and Big Sur, served as a muse for the collection. Casabal described the region in California as “magical and mystical” and aimed for her clothes to reflect an accurate portrayal. The color schemes of Morgane Le Fay derive from elements within Big Sur. Blues juxtaposed the vibrant blue Pacific, greens from Spruce National Reserve transpired into individual pieces, and the grays displayed were inspired by the “little houses with chimneys” alongside Big Sur. Several dresses personified the smoke pattern and flowed out beautifully from the models on the runway.

Morgane Le Fay included a wide array of dresses, pants, skirts and tops. Casabal claimed to enjoy “working with silks, thin fabrics, thin cotton and lace.” Her mastery of these materials showed as they moved in perfect sequential harmony.

The romanticism of the garments, their earthy tones and monochromatic color palette all projected a beauty like no other. Morgane Le Fay was not only perfectly themed, but also seasonally appropriate and had such a delicate feminism that made this collection stand out from other designers. When asked to sum up the collection, Casabal responded with a simple statement: “Blooming”. A name that is highlighted through the delightful fragrance the designer presented to attendees. Christopher Brosius, the perfumer behind CB I Hate Perfume, created exclusively for her SS16 collection a fragrance entitled "Everything Blooming". The angelic scent gave us a glimpse into Casabal’s journey of inspiration, capturing her hike through the rugged mountains of Big Sur while reading the beautiful words of Rilke.