Showing in New York for the second time since its return to the U.S. runway last spring (the ladies enjoyed a six-year stint in London after being the first Australian label to be invited to show in New York in 2014), Heidi Middleton and Sarah-Jane Clarke presented the sunniest take on Fall 2014 we’ve seen. They were probably a little unprepared for winter after all.
For those who made the chilly trek to Manhattan’s Waterfront building not knowing what to expect from this relative newcomer, all the Sass & Bide staples were there. Structured micro-shorts sat under long chiffon mullet skirts, jackets were either long and closely tailored or cropped and boxy, and embellishment ran neatly amok. Bead-embroidered Koru patterns gave a nod to the collection’s inspiration: 19th century German biologist Ernst Haeckel.
The black and white checkered pattern that featured prominently on skirts, jackets and dresses wasn’t so obviously tied to Haeckel’s drawings, and seemed more a way to balance those delicate fabrics and curly gilded details.
Some of the pieces might be a little inappropriate for a New York winter, but Sass & Bide has no reason to stray far from its aesthetic. With a new store just opened in Soho, there’s no shortage of subscribers to its nonchalantly cool brand of luxe.
images: IMAXtree
