Esther DorhoutMees Catwalk Fashion Show Womenswear Paris SS2017

Her Paris Haute Couture debut asked for a follow up. So today Esther Louise Dorhout Mees was back in Paris to present her SS17 collection ‘Orphic’. Inspired by lightning, which is beautiful (to watch) and horrifying at the same time, the talented Dutch designer came up with a feminine collection filled with layered elegance. A line up that really spoke to the audience as soon as the first model (with the frizziest, struck-by-lightning-hair) appeared.

‘‘ORPHIC’ (adj.) Mysterious and entrancing; beyond ordinary understanding’ was about thunder and the designer’s fascination with what happens when someone survives a lightning strike. An exceptional (and rather dreadful) starting point that lead to some exquisite and surprisingly lighthearted looks. Prints referred to both the movement of electricity and the fading it causes as well as scars on a skin.

Fabrics both airy and nacre shiny beautifully worked together in some of the esthetic and arty couture looks as tight corsets, countlessly tied at the back (resembling scars) played a crucial part. Whites, nudes, red and touches of mint formed a graceful pallet, no doubt linked to all things human like skin, veins and blood. And not just the fabrics, but the jewelry and the sneakers too matched the show’s engrossing theme.

Something to think about next time you’re witnessing a thunderstorm..