Cult cool can’t be attained by trying to be cult cool — it’s a label that must be acquired honestly, much like a nickname. For SS16 at Tod’s, however, Alessandra Fachinetti forced the point with a collection that she declared to be “beyond the rules” and banded together a staggering list of “It” girls to make the point stick. Lizzy Jagger, Langley Fox Hemingway, and Louisa Gummer showed their support on the front row, repping Tod’s contemporary uniform while a parade of perforated, punctured, grommeted, and striped ensembles slouched down the runway.
Stripes of different widths came down first on a pristine leather top and sackcloth-waist trousers. Fachinetti drew upon emoji-like symbols to decorate the surface of striped separates and knotted scarves around the throats of her kohl-eyed models, which added a dash of rockabilly style to the looks. A myriad of striped separates, printed sportswear, and jumpsuits were spattered with embroidery, while other looks featured sparkling bijoux trim. Rock ‘n’ roll chic was also part of the equation, as leather jackets were amplified by jigsaw appliqués, which found their equal in cropped leather trousers. In total, the complicated surfaces, decorative embellishment, and tomboyish fit of the clothes added up to a wearable, luxurious collection. While the show didn’t necessarily break any rules, there were plenty of interesting ideas that advanced the brand’s “cool” status — perhaps the cult assignation is soon to follow.
Photos: Courtesy of Imaxtree
