The Victor dE Souza SS27 presentation for New York Fashion Week held at the Arlo Hotel in Midtown was a jewel box of shimmering colors, textures, and sheen. The color palette played with rich jewel tones of emerald and turquoise, blues ranging from midnight to powder, creamy neutrals, and flashes of metallic.
dE Souza's collection offered a world of contrasts: sheer delicate fabrics, voluminous skirts, heads capped in feathers and winged shapes, which all enveloped the models in an air of determination and strength. All the looks had a touch of sensuality to them, yes, but shapes traditionally considered "feminine," such as corsets and dramatic hourglass shapes, now have "fair play" in dE Souza's world: the clothes can be worn by anyone, as long as they have the right attitude to carry them.
I noticed the heavier linens and denims with floral prints, but what truly caught my eye was the use of feathers; ranging from the flighty ostrich trim on sheer elbow gloves, to the meticulously layered feather dresses, dE Souza moved feathers away from embellishment and instead made them into the new luxury texture. A standout piece was a beautiful copper-toned look paired with long plume feathers and intricate beadwork: a magnificent chest plate suspended against the body with sheer fabric that gave the illusion of weightlessness.
In the world of Victor dE Souza's SS27 collection, the future is full of color, with feathers morphing into a new form of fabric all on their own.
