For a brand that has been on the market barely two years, Burnett NY is making a lot of traction. With collections already in Bergdorf Goodman and other high-end retailers, Burnett NY is on its way.
For its first resort collection, Burnett NY created a luxury collection for that busy professional woman who might be taking a R&R, not only in a temperate climate, but also in a major city or the American Rivera, The California coastline. For resort 2020 the design duo or Emily Burnett and Sterling McDavid have placed their customer in the glow of western sunsets, Mediterranean-like architecture, and the white stucco rooftops of Santa Barbara.
Though their customer may not be doing any work or going to corporate meetings at their resort destination, by their apparel anyone can tell that Burnett NY woman is a high-powered alpha type. And the power suit is a key element of this resort 2020 collection. There is the outstanding metallic power suit and there is also the pearl crepe blazer with embroidered yoke with pearl crepe pant with tie-belt.
Like many luxury brands for the resort 2020 season Burnett NY’s resort collection includes a significant number of jumpsuits. However, Burnet NY’s resort jumpsuits are more sophisticated and elegant than in most other resort 2020 collections. Particular standout is the ocean crepe jumpsuit with ocean crepe blazer.
Images courtesy of Burnett NY
The citrus palette of lemon and peach, pastel seafoam blue and nudes that define this collection is aptly applied to softly tailored suits with fluid lines in crepe and linen. There are also architecturally pleated chiffon gowns that are perfect for an evening out. And the day dresses make for a complete resort 2020 wardrobe.
William S. Gooch
The Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s was one of the most revolutionary and creative eras of black history. Harlem, New York became the pinnacle of black intellectual, artistic and social movements, forever changing black culture and putting the merits of black artists on display. Needless to say, even modern-day black contributions to creative industries owe themselves to the work of those who made the Harlem Renaissance happen from Langston Hughes to Countee Cullen to Zora Neale Hurston.
In April when it was announced that the designer would be doing a show based on AI, everyone assumed that he meant Artificial Intelligence. As the runway show began, it was clear that this was not an homage to the future of fashion and technology, but, rather, an ode to black arts and culture past, present, and future. In this case, AI stood for “Authentic Identity.”
Naeem Khan has his finger, and a lot more, on the pulse of where modern bridal collections should be. Influenced by an article in The New York Times, as a part of their New York International Bridal Week spring 2020 season pre-coverage, that extolled the need for bridal designers to be more aware of the fact that the modern bridal customer is in the market for something that goes beyond fairytale, princess bridal gowns. Khan took notice of this and adjusted his spring 2020 bridal collection accordingly.
That said; for spring 2020 Khan did stray away from his penchant for overly embellished gowns, some of which could serve someone well at a discotheque or on a red carpet. There were more traditional bridal silhouettes in his current bridal collection with the embellishments appearing more on the veils than the bridal gowns themselves.
Watters is always known for pushing the envelope, and this season was no exception. The company debuted all three of their lines including their namesake Watters, Willowby, and Wtoo. Building on their own ahead of the curve DNA, the company had something to offer every type of bride.
Willowby, on the other hand, continues to play the role of the much younger sister to Watters in design aesthetic and demographic. For its spring 2020 collection, a portion of the gowns were a bit outside the traditional realm of bridal in some ways, with sheer embroidered overlays that projected as subtle sensuality and the absence of princess gowns.
Wtoo was less cohesive than it was in past seasons, with looks going from traditional princess gowns to crop-top wedding dresses. Nevertheless, the collection still played to the fantasy aspect of the wedding day with whimsical floral details and tiered tulle dresses. Classic details, like lace embroidery, contrasted with the more contemporary details of deep V-necklines. The Wtoo girl isn’t afraid to be a little sexier than your classic bride, and she loves a good revealing neckline.
Last season, Justin Alexander’s bridal collection centered around fashion-forward bridal glam. His bride was sophisticated, but willing to take risks. And though there were lots of classic bridal silhouettes in that collection, many of the garments in the collection could work as red-carpet garments or evening wear.
Justin Alexander reflected this point of view for spring 2020 in modern, clean styling with a romantic patchwork of florals that extended to a large floral motif. Continuing on his floral theme, Justin Alexander culminated this collection with embroidered florals expressed in appliques and large floral patterns.
Amsale Aberra left behind a legacy of elevating the bridal gowns beyond overly embellished princess gowns. Until Amsale Aberra established her eponymous brand, Amsale, bridal gowns, for the most part, reflected the aesthetic that one would expect when one witnessed a wealthy woman getting married in a big cathedral.
This season, the brand debuted Nouvelle Amsale, Little White Dress, Amsale, and Amsale x You. These four collections all spoke to different types of Amsale customers, from the younger bride to the more mature bride, and those who wanted something that was customizable. There is power and truth to the variations of the white dress walking down the aisle, something the brand has proven their design team easily recognizes.
Little White Dress was a true exercise in minimalism. These dresses are for the brides who are not the ball gown types. Silhouettes included trapeze in faille and off-the-shoulder tulle midi-dresses. This collection was proof that not every bridal dress necessarily needs to make a bold statement, and that less can be more.
