Emilia Wickstead Autumn Winter 2024
In the bustling chaos of mid-century America, photographer Garry Winogrand didn't just capture images; he painted a vivid portrait of reality using his camera as a brush. The metropolitan streets of New York served as his canvas, and in the spontaneity of his shots he immortalized the essence of a society undergoing profound change during the mid-1960’s and 1970’s. Each photograph encapsulates the bustle of day, the irreverence of nightlife, the thrill of excitement, the ache of heartbreak, the weight of trauma, and the subtleties of everyday life. “Reality is the photograph itself, a particle plucked from time and space," Winogrand declared and it is this very reality that inspires the season.
The Emilia Wickstead Autumn Winter 2024 collection is an invitation to walk through the vibrant streets of mid-century America. A visual symphony, where every woman’s step tells a story, and every outfit is a chapter in the book of life. Like Winograd’s photography, the collection serves as a poignant narrative; an intentional storytelling endeavour that lays bare the coexistence of diverse communities who come together to form an eccentric, melting pot of colourful style.
The idea of capturing a woman’s candid essence through photography, of eternalizing a moment in time, and how this essence may be both reflected and informed by her wardrobe, is a constant reference point for Emilia Wickstead. A belief in the alchemic effect of clothing to help excavate the beauty within.
In this collection the street becomes a stage for a host of characters; a tapestry of archetypes, whose expressive style reflects personality. Timeless matriarchs, resiliently graceful, who cling nostalgically to bygone elegance are seen in tailored minimalism, refined lines, tweeds and checks. Sculptural, banana-shaped sleeves in earthy merino wool impart soft power against an urban landscape.
Tribute is paid to first generation Italian-immigrants, whose sartorial flair helped shape the cultural landscape. Vivid colour and richly textured embellishment, silk twill, and moiré Mikado mirror the amalgamation of maximalist Italian heritage with the contemporary chic of the bustling metropolis, and the birth of a new identity.
