Bianca Spender’s Autumn collection conveys a sense of effortless restraint and rebellion. Stripping design minutiae and starting with a base underpinning of utility and functionality, the collection represents efficaciousness and ease.
The exploration of the concept of the origin of creativity – the street – was the focal point. Looking to cultural influences, such as Henri Cartier-Bresson’s Street photography, Spender considered an urban utility and the sensibility that comes with taking fashion to the street.
“Creativity is born on the street, whether it be photographers capturing a decisive moment in time, emerging designers creating out of their garages or observing the way a woman dresses when she is catching a train or steadily rippling through the city. The starting point for this collection was delving into street life and finding the unexpected moments through design to capture the essence of ease and function.”
- Bianca Spender, Founder and Creative Director, Bianca Spender
Enduring shapes explore the interplay between proportion and silhouette. Tailoring becomes effortlessly linear with unlined, long-line trench coats and elongated pants crafted in fluid wool, twill and crepe. Cocoon-shaped jackets are in harmonious contrast to precisely tailored cropped pants and ankle-grazing pencil skirts, reminiscent of an ode to the ’90s.
There is a sense of air throughout the pieces. The soft gesture of a dropped shoulder captures a moment of deep exhalation and languid sheath-style dresses are adorned with gritty padded rope detailing at the neck and cut-out waistlines.
The exploration of the balance between femininity and toughness is prevalent throughout contrasted mid-length dresses in sculpted bias-cut pleating, suggestive of architectural lines. Signature twists and ties are reinvigorated for the Autumn season in chunky, textural knit tops and dresses. Graphic gathers are unexpectedly placed ambiguously on soft tailoring and on moulded leatherette styles for a playful perspective on utility.
A colour palette of utilitarian khaki, olive, avocado, putty and black is offset by fresh hues of mint, teal, and vivid cobalt. Evocative leatherette and acute black and white stripes find a playful disparity in lilac striped tweed and a bespoke embrace silk print. Fabrics are sourced with deep consideration for circularity and over 50% of Bianca Spender’s Autumn 2023 collection is crafted from responsibly sourced, deadstock fabrics.
Displaying a sense of confident nonchalance through a collection of design-led, functional styles, Spender’s Autumn collection illustrates that the woman is not one-dimensional.
