Every so often on your mad dash of a commute, nestled between popping umbrellas, clacking heels, rustling newspapers and clutched coffee cups, you see a flash of an interesting woman. Only a flash because she’s hellishly sophisticated and thereby understated. You suddenly are stopped in your tracks, thinking about what she had for breakfast (most likely sourdough from a local bakery and homemade jam) what her job is (something undeniably cool like architecture or psychology) and whether you could step into her pristine shoes, if only for the day? Well Filippa K’s Spring Summer 2020 collection provides you with just that, except you don’t have to admire this woman from afar, rather embody her. You can find out her name too, each beautifully crafted piece is named after an impossibly chic woman; the Hutton trouser or the Audrey dress? You decide.
Filippa K’s mantra is one of functionality and sustainability. I challenge you not to find one female friend or family member, whether that be your daughter, your mother or grandmother, who couldn’t help but covet a piece of Filippa’s genius. The magic of the collection lies in the juxtaposition: sharp silhouettes in fluid fabrics, take me seriously tailoring but not intimidatingly so (you could still do the school run or head down to the pub in it without feeling like a fool), mellow muted tones with stand out sustainable solutions. Oh those delectable tones, it’s as though Farrow and Ball created an ice cream shop with names like Coconut White, Antique Rose and Mint Powder. You want to guzzle, nestle and stride in them all.
What I love about Filippa K in its entirety is that it’s never about squeezing yourself into a trend, but about clothes that make you feel, look and not to be overlooked, are good for the planet. It’s a winning triple threat that is all too threatening for your bank balance. If you glance at this lookbook (or rather charmingly ‘scrapbook’ as they like to call it) blindly, you wouldn’t be able to place what year it was designed for or in. A dash of the Margaret slinky silk skirt a la Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City, the Wendy ribbed jumper straight from Rachel’s wardrobe in Friends, the Norine blazer powerfully, elegant reminiscent of Lady Diana’s style-all women we know and love from across the ages.
After 2019’s Spring/Summer trends of naughty billowing sleeves that dip into your dinner but won’t dip into your coat and the kitsch, corseted numbers that make you resemble a trussed up and tipsy Heidi, it’s a relief to stroll into 2020’s Spring/Summer gallantly prepared for every day life. Such beautiful armour. What more could one want?
Words by Charlie Newman.
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