Minimidimaxi Magazine

For Fall 2005 Shelli Oh extracts ever more jauntiness from fabrics she’s used and looks she’s done before, but never quite like this.

It’s refreshing to see the skirts up for Harebell’s fall line-up-it’s just another indication of how guarded optimism may have replaced melancholy poetry as the key driving signifier behind Oh’s designs. One of these emerald skirts, embroidered and bias cut, is worn with a straggly slip in the same russet chiffon as the wispy blouse it’s paired with.

The fitted jacket with almost holographic jacquard chinoiserie looks a little antiquated, but this effect is reversed by being paired with a hot black velvet skirt. As if to prove how far the label is willing to go to shift gears, even Harebell’s mahogany tricot knit dress has a pajama-party coziness to it.

I’ve seen enough fur trim this season to make a coat for Jabba the Hut, but I haven’t seen fur epaulets until this collection-chalk one up for gutsy innovation! Bandanna ties are aplenty, though I wonder if this is simply runway magic or if they’re actually being sold with the outfits. Adorable Shelli trotted out in one of the collection’s most sombre pieces. I guess some things never change.

Daniel Cox, Fashion Editor
Marek Wlazlo, Photographer