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Excited fashionistas flocked to Saks Fifth Avenue’s spring & summer 2016 fashion show staged at the Ritz Carlton Bahrain Hotel & Spa.
High-end brands were placed on display for members of the media, VIPs and various industry innovators – some of whom stayed true to style and trickled in more than one hour after the scheduled show time on Thursday evening.
As the moon hung low and a crisp wind nipped at our heels we were whisked away in electric buggies to the resort’s private island to be seated for the show.
Camera flashes, bright smiles and hushed whispers fell over the crowd as the show started. Surprisingly, the first set of modelled pieces was welcomed in by the sounds of The Weeknd’s Can’t Feel My Face, which seemed completely at odds with the occasion. However, the clothing was stunning and I could see firsthand a glimpse into SS16 collections that only social media had previously teased.
The first piece was stunning with a tall brunette showcasing a multi-coloured geometric-shaped dress that was embellished with metallics and flowed like a bird in flight.
Peacock shapes were present and the palette was bright and cheerful which paired well with the chosen stilettos.
A gentleman followed wearing a textured grey sweater with trousers that were overlapped with a skort. I am not sure this did anything for me since I could not place any man ‘I know’ in this particular look with the exception of Kristian Harrison, our very ‘youth-esque’ film reviewer, who loves to sport the latest of trends.
A notable piece had us back in the 1960s with a fun mod shift with wide pockets and bright shapes paired brilliantly with a boxy orange handbag. The next interesting ‘trend-spot’ was a sheer transparent sleeveless mesh vest that peaked through a baby blue denim dress.
Again, lingerie for daywear was presented with a silky baby blue and pink outfit which was feminine and perfect for a summer day stroll by the beach.
Then, a gorgeous statement piece took centre stage in the form of a pretty butterfly printed pink gown that fluttered gracefully on the model’s languid form.
The next ‘ooh and ahh’ moment came from one piece that managed to obtain four of the trends seen on the runways. A baroque-style design with silver metallic and peek-a-boo cutouts showing a pink sheer fabric underneath that was both feminine and fashion-forward at the very least.
My top choice for the men’s looks was a casual jacket paired with a scarf and high military boots. It was well-balanced, not looking too punk or preppy. The statement was ‘confidence with worldly intelligence’, in my opinion.
Often, during some of these fashion events, there will be an ensemble that has the whole crowd hash-tagging #lovelove with heart-eyed emoticons. On this night it was a black and gold baroque two-piece that had fellow fashion scribe Georgie Bradley in a wide-eyed daze. She looked at me and with a matter-of-fact appreciation and said: “That’s a Valentino.” It was gorgeous!
My ultimate favourite was a glittery black transparent iridescent long-sleeve top that was paired with a cobalt blue floor duster. It was a ‘must-have’ outfit that I still need to find the price tag on … hmm.
On the other hand there is also that one outfit that will have the head tilted with a quizzical ‘what is that?’ robotically rolling off the tongue. I understand that pink is a major colour this SS16 but the bubble gum pink gown on display was too Barbie, too textured, too flouncy and simply just too much really.
Overall the Saks soiree was another sartorial success ending in applause with the crowd wanting more.
