Operating since 2013, demi-couture line Atelier Grandi has garnered a reputation for producing expertly-crafted, timeless silhouettes. Think: perfectly tailored cigarette trousers and staple silk blouses. Think: construction paralleling a Hubert-era Givenchy gown with a colour palette reminiscent of the GAP circa 2006. Think: the antithesis of fast fashion. Grandi does not aim to set trends, but to celebrate the classics.

Prismania, Grandi’s Spring/Summer 2019 collection, was no exception to this rule. In front of a giant projection of what seemed to be a live stream of a rainforest, models sauntered down the runway in form-fitted dresses, jumpsuits, and overcoats, all in the same primary colour palette. Classic neutral pencils skirts were paired with leaf-print tanks that harkened to Prada’s much celebrated (and oft-recreated) S/S 2011 collection. Basic pieces such as one a-line boat neck dress found a sense of personality with a lattice back, while a taupe jumpsuit was paired with a jewel-toned vest and headwrap for an added sense of punch. Standout looks included a pair of sapphire-blue tuxedo pants paired with a canary yellow silk blouse and coral-red tassel earrings. The final piece, a floor-length, a-line gown, was a grandiose testament to the designers flawless attention to fit and form.

It is perhaps this staunch attention to detail which explains the at-times repetitive aesthetic of Prismania. Creative ingenuity in the areas of colour palette and print choices seem subsidiary to the production of ‘the perfect fit.’ The decision to limit each ensemble to a maximum of three pieces—perhaps meant to convey the amount of time and attention required to produce each element —seems to imply that Grandi, at least this season, is only willing to work within a small range of cuts, colours and lines. Whether this is a testament to their dedication to celebrating the classics, or a reflection of the creative limits of slow fashion in general, is as of yet unclear.

SAD Online

VFW 2018: Atelier Grandi - Prismania