Lou Dallas’ magical worlds range from whimsical woodland adventures to feminist underwater fantasies, and this season proved no less imaginative — as Raffaella Hanley looked to the theme of “Unlimited Night” to inspire her latest collection. The designer took over the top floor of The Park, in Chelsea, a rich space covered in wood paneling, to present this seasons vibrant looks.
“Lou Dallas wakes up to find herself on horseback in the thick of a parade. Where are we going? She wants to ask her fellow travelers but they are humming and don’t seem to see her. Their ceremonial repetitions get wilder; their motions more hypnotizing. Lou relaxes her gaze to drink it all in only to lose her balance and find herself in the muddied hand of the tropical floor,” the show notes read. “Splayed up her clothes like fireworks, the dirt looks like blood but in the distance she sees help: a squad of nurses headed her way in their candied stripes. ‘Are you here to help me?’ She inquires. When they don’t answer she wonders if these are the same sirens as before.”
Dallas’ models emerged from the depths of The Park in an eclectic mix of fabrics — lace mini skirts embellished with silk rosettes were worn over knee high socks with exposed seams in a variety of colors. Rafaella also presented an array of knit dresses and corset tops, including an especially lovely one in denim with cap sleeves, worn with patched denim trousers. The collection was full of mixed prints and candied stripes, in feminine silhouettes, to round out a midwinter’s night dream that only Lou Dallas could imagine. Drink it all in.
