“SHE is dispersible, prodigious, stunning, desirous and capable of others, of the woman that she will be, of the other woman she isn’t, of him, of you.” This is kind of woman that embodies the Marta Jakubowski AW19 collection, as taken by a passage from The Laugh of the Medusa by French philosopher and feminist critic Hélène Cixous. Embracing femininity, strength, and power, the collection incorporates the exotic and compelling Anthurium flower into the mouths of the models, highlighting the significance of the female voice. “She spits Anthuriums. She will not be silenced.”
The Anthurium becomes a symbol of strength and spirit, encompassing the overall mood of the collection. With strong, almost masculine silhouettes, femininity and masculinity becomes blurred, remaking the concept of the feminine in a contemporary setting. Similarly, Jakubowski experiments with this idea by incorporating puffer-jacket fabric into trench-coats, intwining a masculine element into a considerably more feminine piece.
The use of elongated silhouettes and refined tailoring can be seen throughout, elevating street-style with a sense of elegance. As the collection draws inspiration from myth and legend, it integrates long full length silhouettes and thin draping fabrics, with examples of tunic dresses and robe-style dresses, particularly through the collections formal-wear.
Perhaps the most stunning pieces of the collection included Jakubowski’s experimentation with knitwear. Splicing and waving the fabrics, knitwear is reinvented with a new sense of edginess. Playing with colour palette, the knitwear can be seen in black, nude, and red, and is paired with flowing straight leg trousers and understated heels. Minimalist, sophisticated, and alluring, these looks highlight Jakubowski’s style in the highest degree. While most of the collection consists of cotton materials, Jakubowski incorporates velvet into her formal-wear. These pieces are the most singular of the collection, contrasting in texture and colour, fiercely feminine, strong, and vividly rich with pink and blue hues.
Putting a feminist twist on fashion, Cixous’s words summarise the collection perfectly; ‘We’re stormy and that which is ours breaks loose from us without fearing any debilitation. Our glances, our smiles, are spent; laughs exude from all our moths our blood flows and we extend ourselves without ever reaching an end.’
by Emma Hart