Congratulations Gabriela Hearst on Resort 2023. Gabriela has neither ignored the pandemic in her collection nor wallowed in it. She has created a functional, tribal aesthetic with a mostly neutral colour palette.
Pops of colour lighten the mood. And the mood, for Gabriela Hearst has a strong post-apocalyptic feel. Her sometimes dystopian, sometimes conforming design aesthetic has her signature swirl scattered throughout. For Hearst, this design acts as a strong identifying mark, and with her equestrian roots, the equivalent of a horse branding.
Her leather coats feature old-school stamping we saw in the 70s with traditional laced edges, again, a 70s given a post-apocalyptic twist by using black, although the traditional brown is also an option. The leather coats feature wide lapels, the lapels we’ve all been looking for. Her cream woollen coat features lacing, this time in a cream leather which creates texture along with the leather strip closure.
But coats are only one aspect of the collection. The crocheted pieces are intricate and feature the same signature swirls, handcrafted in recycled cashmere. Many hundreds of hours have gone into the creation of these pieces, which draw on Hearst’s love of the craftsmanship traditionally done by women.
‘I think of the Gloria Steinem quote’, she says. ‘We are linked, not ranked. We all have to start helping each other more’.
The most complex piece, perhaps, is evening wear garments which see black silk drape from a knitted bodice.
Another brighter piece has a knitted bodice in angular shapes with a lighter floaty skirt. It is difficult to get a dress to work well when combining two different weights of fabrics that meet at the waist. Congratulations Gabriela on successfully achieving this aesthetic – a dress that looks both dystopian and feminine.
All in all, Hearst has created a masterpiece of simplicity, texture that will feel beautiful to actually wear.
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