An invitation full of waves invites us to take part in the last parade of this first day. A quick glance and the ripples come to life. Immediately, the image takes me back to the tops of the desert sand dunes, with its striations and demarcations, in a word, its ripples.
And it’s to the edge of the desert that designer Fatima Lopes, strongly influenced by the shores of Lisbon, has chosen to take us for her Spring-Summer 2011 collection, aptly named Ondulation. Nude tones and a sense of drape are the watchwords of this extremely warm collection, inspired by the dunes and their endless undulations.
Behind gigantic canvases stretched like the white sails of a ship, the first silhouettes appear in shadow. Then, wearing leather sandals covered in real sand, they finally appear on stage, setting the tone for the show. Court and transparency are the order of the day, for silhouettes that are light, almost evanescent. Necklines are deep and dresses reveal tapered legs. Yet Fatima Lopes never forgets her own style, multiplying contrasts in materials (opaque and transparent, or matte and shiny) and structure, with seemingly simple models quickly revealing themselves to be extremely structured, accompanied by more fluid pieces.
The style is pared-back but retains a natural elegance, with details abounding to energize every silhouette. Subtle shimmer adorns ecru stockings, while embroidery softens dresses and tops with their slightly hard geometric curves. Silk draping multiplies, transforming each model into a sand goddess. One summer dress followed another, each with a different cut, but with two constants: the short cut and the plunging neckline on a drop collar. The Portuguese designer knows perfectly how to make a simple dress chic, for example by adding a mesh of formidable embroidery to the drooping sleeves of a short cream dress.
The strapless dress is not forgotten, of course, and skirts and shorts are interpreted in very short, minimalist versions. Aladdin pants are also in the spotlight, with a fabulous strapless jumpsuit worn with a large belt, the centerpiece of this collection.
White, ecru, light beige, skin-color and ochre are all available to plunge us a little deeper into the dunes. Dune colors and skin tones alternate in this highly architectural collection. Light blue recalls the blue of the sky, while deeper blues, even turquoise, remind us of the possibility of a stretch of water in the middle of this infinity of sand. Tye and dye prints appear in dashes on some models, while the designer doesn’t hesitate for a moment to combine bright colors and nude tones.
With this Spring-Summer 2011 collection, Fatima Lopes is targeting a glamorous, feminine woman who loves elegant pieces without feeling constrained by her clothes. And she has the luxury of taking us on a journey, to our great delight.
Marie-Odile Radom