thescarletletter

Bazaar
style
THE SCARLET
LETTER
Red is the colour of fire engines, stop signs, and
hazard warnings. It also evokes love, lust, wine, romance, and
roses. And this season, there are several ways to harness the
power of red. A skin-tight red dress is like a warning light,
capturing attention through overt suggestion. “Red indicates
a certain risk and adventure within,” says Arjun Saluja, whose
Winter-Festive collection at Lakmé Fashion Week included a
flowing red jacket open all the way down the front. “The idea
of wearing red means highlighting something—your
personality or your mood,” he adds. In this way, a draped red
dress or sharply tailored red suit conveys a blend of seduction,
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strength, and power. For example, at Gucci, debut designer
Alessandro Michele sent out a striking red dress with
asymmetric ruffles. In any other colour, it would have been
simply pretty. His choice—a deep tomato red—gave the frock
an aura of mystery and adventure.
Closer home, for his fall couture collection, Sabyasachi’s
mostly dark and Gothic collection featured a lineup of reds at
the end, and included a red lehenga with pointed bralet
reminiscent of 1950s corsetry. Elsewhere around the globe,
Erdem infused the seductive potential of a red lace dress with
an unmistakable romanticism. Dolce & Gabbana’s ’40s-style
Imaxtree
Forget black­—the modern femme fatale dresses
in cold-blooded crimsons and haute reds
Ramp and backstage: Imaxtree; Still life: From top, courtesy Tod’s, matchesfashion.com, givenchy, and emporio Armani
Backstage at Elie Saab
Erdem
skirt suits, full-bodied Sicilian
lace dresses, and flared coats
were all underscored by the
recurring motif of a red rose.
Amor Per Sempre (love for
ever) spelled the embroidery
on one dress in red brocade.
Mumbai-based designer
Payal Khandwala, known for
her rich silk garments, also
uses red often. “It signifies so
many different things, it’s
fierce and sexual but there’s also something
joyous about it. It has a dominant energy that it
lends to the wearer, making them feel more
confident, more self assured.”
But why—in a season that’s almost all Gothmeets-Victorian—is red so powerful? “It is, of
course the colour of power, and is worn either
when one is feeling confident and strong, or to
give the impression that one is,” says Jane
Sheperdson, CEO of London-based brand
Whistles, a favourite of fashion editors who love
to dress up in its ramp-to-reality versions of the
biggest current trends. An Altuzarra trouser-suit
in oxblood that elongates the body with its sharp
tailoring is a perfect example of the power of red.
And if you want to create your own mix, trousers
and jackets—all in varying shades of red—from
Gucci, Michael Kors, Emilio Pucci, Carven,
DKNY, and many other brands abound. “For
Fall 2015, there is definitely a shift towards midtones, muted, and darker tones of red. Shades
such as oxblood and luxurious wine tones are
key, underpinning the importance of 1970s
themes, which were huge on the runways,” says
Sara Maggioni, director of retail and buying at
the famed trend-forecasting agency, WGSN.
The red trouser-suit—matched or
otherwise—is equal to the little black dress, and
conveys both confidence and a powerful
sensuality. Kendall Jenner—model of the
moment and Instagram sensation—herself no
minimalist, appears in a red suit in the ad
Diane von Furstenberg
Emilio Pucci
The Power of Red
campaign for Estée Lauder’s new fragrance,
Modern Muse Le Rouge, her transformation
from teen reality TV star into global super model
and sex siren complete. It has also found fans in
Blake Lively, who looked ravishing in a Michael
Kors number for a recent appearance on Good
Morning America, and Jennifer Aniston, who
turned heads in a red Gucci suit by Alessandro
Michele at the 2015 Critics’ Choice Movie
Awards in Hollywood.
Then there is the more feminine aspect of red:
Its marriage with lace is an enduring partnership
that designers like Diane von Fürstenberg,
Dolce & Gabbana, and Alessandro Michele
at Gucci exploited. And this was the
approach that Jenner took to red, again,
at the launch of Paper Towns in Los
Angeles. She wore a burgundy floorlength gown by Australian label
Zimmermann with a high neckline
and gathered sleeves. However, that
keyhole revealing a hint of cleavage
injected pure sex appeal. And with a
colour as powerful as red, the secret is
in knowing when to reveal and where
to conceal. “Some designers also opted for
bright red tones for some statement pieces,
like Carven’s tangerine red skinny trousers and
Loewe’s bright red croc bags and patent coats,”
adds Maggioni, stressing the importance of red
in relation to the overall look. For example, even
a hint of red on the lapel of Christopher Kane’s
all-black tuxedo is enough to lift the entire
ensemble from classic to catchy.
But perhaps the reason for red’s popularity this
season is more human than we are ready to
admit. Without the sexiness and power of red to
balance it, this season would look quite bleak and
dark. And while red can be dangerous, it can also
be joyous. Is it then so hard to imagine red as the
logical counter to the designer dejection all
around us? After all, it was Valentino himself, the
emperor of red, who described the colour as a
cure for sadness. n By Phyllida Jay
(From top) Tod’s bag,
Balenciaga dress at
Matchesfashion.com,
Givenchy necklace,
and Emporio Armani
shoes. All prices
upon request.
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