Marking the completion of its trilogy, Caroline Engelgaar’s Spring outing unleashed opulent ease—balancing unity, connection and longevity with delightful poise.
Power dressing has been a huge hit over the past seasons, but it doesn’t just apply to suits. At Mark Kenly Domino Tan’s Spring outing, there was a sense of power and poise in the rich fabric manipulations—often teamed with macro accessories—and the relatively pared-back, fuss-free sleek silhouettes.
Timelessness has defined MKDT’s collections (along with those of most Scandi labels) but this time the designer swapped clean lines and plain tailoring for a more elegant look. As it turns out, those pieces felt a little more opulent, too, which may represent extra points for the brand’s clientele.
For the creative director, that meant a Spring lineup that felt authentic to who she is as a person and a designer. “For me it’s very much about what’s taking up my time, as it’s a crazy world these days,” Caroline Engelgaar told GLASS backstage post-show. These offerings got her thinking about completing her circle of creative references, which began with the vast remits of the sea and the boundless reaches of the sky.
“[This season] has been about celebrating the Earth, and the way we have been working with it is by looking at Studio Mumbai, which is an Indian architectural firm that studies how we cope with our surroundings—it’s also very sustainable in the use of materials, as everything is centred around how we surround us with things, so there’s has been a big inspiration with regard to the work of the hand, and I feel that’s our best and most authentic element so it’s an homage to that if you must say.”
It’s no surprise, then, that the tailoring here was strong: show openers encompassed a slew of white wardrobe mainstays, invigorated by elongated proportions. “Since last Summer, there’s been a very clear throughline in the direction of the brand so I don’t see it as evolving into something else; but maybe this time it signifies a move forward, which also reflects the music choice; at first, I found it a little out-modish but at the same time there was a positive vibe of a desert somehow, and I really like that there’s a little bit more spirit in this collection that can be seen in the embroideries.”
There was a youthful elegance to it all, from the appliqués to the square-toed, school uniform-inspired footwear. (Blue Lake, Jason Dungan’s solo and collaborative music project that played live at the runway show, was the right choice of music, too).
“I think that our atelier collection is really strong, notably the pieces decked in appliqués, silks and wools,” Engelgaar opined. One complaint: The deconstructed, tailored piece wrapped down the back of a men’s blazer looked too askew to be flattering. But all in all, the collection was impressive. These are pieces that Engelgaar will wear with pride, and many others will, too.
“Atelier styles are so avant garde: for me, it’s about doing something that is really unique and that people want to keep in their closets for many years,” she concluded. For this brand, that’s a smart philosophy.
by Chidozie Obasi
All runway images by James Cochrane