In a season brimming with “reinvented classics,” Christopher Esber said he wanted to bring a little whimsy to his resort collection through draping and sculpting rather than just cutting fabric away. “This collection is really about fantasy meets function,” the designer said in a Zoom interview from his studio in Sydney. “In my mind, I kept playing back the idea of escaping, of desert horizons, sunbaked highways and bringing in more textiles and colors that speak to that landscape.”
It’s been almost 35 years since Thelma & Louise just kept on driving, but for Esber that feminist classic was top of mind. Did that mean he, too, would make a run for it? Definitely not, the designer said. “I just really connected with that spirit of changing things up and forging your own way.” Part of the process was giving himself the freedom to revisit and refine things that perhaps aren’t considered cool anymore, he said, like an aged stripe or a snip of lace encrusted unevenly on a yellow top or inserted on a green dress. The goal was to strike a balance between retro and contemporary aesthetics. An out-of-character garment, for example, can sometimes turn out to be a perfect fit.
One can well imagine the mileage fans could get from some of these pieces, like a sporty coffee-colored bomber, a billowy trench with a patterned green lining, or tailored jeans spliced with suede. The designer smartly developed some ensembles that can be either attached as a complete silhouette or worn separately; in that vein, an asymmetrical chocolate top and grape-colored skirt looked strong.
Esber has long married various materials in odd-couple ways; this season that included scalloping suede or jersey with lace; transposing python effects into exotic-looking prints and superfine knits; a silver coil on a dress or bag; or a necktie spooled into a halter top. The idea of shredded snakeskin appeared on a georgette dress intricately cut to show some flesh yet “hit in all the right places,” the designer said. That was one of a few numbers that were definitely for those who dress like they’ve got nothing to hide.
Not every experiment landed, but there were plenty of the kind of sexy, sinuous—and commercial—clothes here to keep Esber’s base coming back for more, whether they are hitting the road for real or only in spirit.
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