SPRING collections are tricky. There is an expectation that clothes should be bright and new, a celebration of the life force of burgeoning spring. But clothes like that are very hard to wear. Thomas Wolfangel's collection, shown in the Berkeley Court Hotel yesterday, simply makes the going harder. It presents a definite challenge. So very bright!
A master tailor and one of the last couturiers in Ireland, he goes straight for social, rather than everyday, dressing and designs the clothes that will be worn to weddings, race meeting, cocktail parties and perhaps in some chic hotspot abroad.
Practically everything was shown with an enormous hat and very high heels. And the colours were of the brightest. Red, jade, daffodil yellow just dazzling While silks and embossed cottons featured.
It was mainly a suit collection, as befits spring. But these suits were not just a simple collarless jacket and straight skirt. That is not Wolfangel's style. These had lots of darting, tucking, piping and seaming, and were often plastered with gleaming gilt buttons. They cost between £250 and £360, which is good value as they are custom made. But a little less would add up to a lot more in style.
Successes included a pin tucked crepe in taupe - one of the few neutral colours to be used - a saucy check cotton with a fitted peplum jacket, and a candyfioss pink boule with buttons and braid that looked very like one by Chanel. And there was a perfect one for the St Patrick's Day parade, bright green embossed cotton which was very comely indeed.
Cocktail party clothes are ultra bright in hugely patterned shiny silk that should clear the room in five minutes. Too bright and too complicated to work, to my eye.
But once these had gone things looked up, with some marvellous reptile printed fabrics used for superb coats and jackets.
Evening clothes caused a ripple of whispers as metallic gold, black and silver halter necked sheaths showed that when the designer holds his hand, he can do a very cool number.