Jamie O’Hare’s debut as creative director at Issa this season got off on a majorly chic roll at the London fashion house. While perpetuating the brand’s codes, O’Hare charged up the Issa woman’s intentions with a more overt and body-beautiful confidence.
Fluid, gleaming fabrics that dripped down a sensual silhouette took no prisoners in powerful shades of lipstick red, topaz and chartreuse. It was really a pleasure to see this kind of unabashed insouciance in taking sheer pleasure in garments draped and wrapped in the lap of luxury on the London catwalks this season, if only at Issa and a few other choice showings.
Alongside the rather, ahem, concupiscent air in all of its vaguely Tom Ford-ian glitz, the new creative director’s initial triumph also included some engaging abstractions of animal prints and elongated fringing that sweep the floor.
All of the tantalizing flashes of skin by way of many deep cuts certainly got the fashion pack talking at the much-buzzed about show at One Great George Street yesterday, in a manner that certainly alludes to a steady leap to SS16. Amongst the many that then dashed backstage to direct numerous acclaim to O’Hare was of course Camilla Al Fayed, majority stakeholder and chairwoman of the Issa; who no doubt sees good things ahead, and also Glass. We then proceeded to briefly talk re-aligning the brand with a more potent Issa-woman-on-a-mission quality.
In what way do you see the trademark Issa woman deviating from her previous course now that you are at the helm Jamie?
I wanted to concentrate on what the core values were, which is of course the jersey fabric and the dress. Dressing for the evening is important too and we revolved this collection around that, going forward we are planning on revolving the whole wardrobe around that.
You’ve been head of design at Issa since 2013, how has the brand progressed whilst you’ve been present since then?
While we worked with Issa’s previous creative director, Blue Farrier, we worked to move away from the jersey a little but at the end of the day that’s what we are and we shouldn’t be scared of it, we should be proud of it.
Indeed, this season the Issa woman has definitely got her eyes on a different kind of prize. Could you expand on that?
It’s important at Issa to identify the woman’s form and not be shy about doing so. For the last few seasons we were hiding away from the body a little bit and this season we just went for it.
Great stuff. So in your own words what would you say the Issa woman is now all about?
Strength!
by Liam Feltham
Images courtesy of Style.com