Inspired by a recent trip to Bali, Julien Macdonald’s show was filled with tropical colors and the designer’s flesh-flashing silhouettes.
The show began with a boom — as in the booming sound of jet engines, signaling to all of his jet-setting customers to hop on board the Macdonald flight headed toward fun in the sun.
Macdonald worked a tropical color palette of cobalt, dirty yellow, turquoise, brick red and fern – and lots of metallic shine – into this collection that showcased his signature formfitting designs, as in a red pencil dress with sheer crystal embroidered panels on the back and shoulders.
Backs and limbs looked to be wet with sweat, as in one provocative khaki, beaded macramé gown that was so low cut at the back and the front there was no room for underwear of any kind.
This outing also marked Macdonald’s first foray into men’s wear, which was as relaxed as his women’s wear is high-octane. There were roomy shorts and tops in the same digital jungle-meets-baroque print worn by the women, and some spidery-knitted sweaters and loosely knitted T-shirts.