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NEW YORK, United States — The Delpozo front row is consistently studded with women who have mixed designer Josep Font's arty, three-dimensional pieces into their wardrobes. His designs are by no means casual, and yet those curved-seam crepe trousers and technicolor-floral embellishments escape the heavy formality of traditionally dressed-up daywear.
Perhaps it's Font's penchant for the otherworldly, the odd, that is the key to his appeal. This season, several models wore transporting, tightly sealed hoods, sometimes decorated with jagged crystals. The idea, he said backstage, was to mimic the look of a hummingbird.
The approach drew the eye right down to the petal-sleeved, origami-bow-tied garments, which were much more muted in colour than Font's typical fair. He favoured navy blue, mulberry wine and amber over kelly greens and fuschia, a choice that may have surprised his most loyal followers. In some ways, it felt a little dreary, although it's hard to blame a creative for having the urge to move things forward.
Because of this change in mood, though, the shocks of colour peppered throughout were quite welcome. An overblown sequined-bow top came in canary yellow and was paired with a royal purple tulle skirt to form the collection's one-and-only ball gown, while hot-red poppy buds were embroidered onto curved-hem skirts or wine-coloured tulle.
Font is celebrating five years as creative director of the Spanish "prêt-à-couture" house, where his high touch has attracted a nice following. It's no surprise, given that modernity is the name of his game. Couture techniques never tire, especially when they're used in inventive ways, molding the hips of a cobalt blue floral brocade jumpsuit or shaping the hem of a satin housecoat.
