The runway at Sies Marjan was covered in three million tiny Swarovski crystals, giving the space the feel of an exploded disco ball. Strolling across this crunchy, extravagant gravel, designer Sander Lak sent out one of his best collections to date, in which his beloved neons were imbued with a new urgency and sense of freedom. Sies Marjan has always had a sleepy charm under his direction, with its relaxed shapes and washed satins. This season Lak took his cast of women out of the bedroom and into the sparkling night.
Lak’s tailoring was of particular note — look one, a belted orange coat over a striped shirt, combined his love of ease and loose shapes with giving his customers an actual waistline. One suit came in searing, fluro green, once again given a nipped-in waist, another in pinstripe has silver straps to give it shape, and Harleth Kuusik wore a particularly fetching suit in purple leather. Whatever business lunch Lak is imagining these being worn to, we’d like to attend. On the other end of the spectrum, lace slips worn over pants fell away from the body like silk handkerchiefs hanging out of a pocket. Lace also hemmed dresses that twisted at the waist, covered in more Swarovski crystals, which somehow made a lot of shine look like the height of relaxation. This is Lak’s specialty — taking the overwrought (neon, lace, bling) and making it look both sophisticated and easy.
The designer said he was thinking about love, this season, specifically about what it’s like falling in love. As the luminous, spotlit models emerged from the inky darkness, you were reminded of the joy (and risk) that falling in love brings — the sort of feeling that makes three million crystals seem like a minor detail. Love is pink, blue, and yellow, love is all of them combined and worn by Liu Wen in an outfit that looks like an exploding star. We’re falling in love with Sies Marjan.
