Harebell - fall/winter 2002
“There is a beauty in sadness.”
So says Shelli Oh of her fall/winter 2002-03 collection. The contradiction evident throughout the collection drives this point home. Victorian and gothic lace is fused harmoniously with wool in understated and sombre earth tones.
The bias-cut brown mono-lapel dress with asymmetric lace detailing has the poetic edge that Harebell is known for, while the caramel faux-fur vest and skirt keeps the label within trend contention. The vests and jackets (including a burgundy ¾ coat dipped and matted to create a ‘wet bird’ effect) work well as separates in addition to unifying the collection. Several of the delicate pieces feature an element of scarification in hard perpendicular bias.
“This is the most personal collection I’ve done.”
If this refreshingly small and manageable group is the result of using fashion as art therapy while zeroing in on an identified clientele, it’s a wonder not everybody is approaching fashion this way.
Daniel Cox, Fashion Editor
Marek Wlazlo, Photographer
