A look from VPL, Matteo Volta/Imaxtree

‘And Then There Was Us,’ Victoria Barlett’s spring collection, wasn’t exactly light. The designer was, “inspired by going back and looking at evolution, Darwinism, invertebrates, etcetera,” she told us backstage, post-show. Bartlett presented spring as two miniature collections, one representing the sea, and the other land, each half working to express, “the idea of shelling,” with inverted darts, soft boning, and jutting panniers. Oceanic muses like jellyfish were represented with undulating cowls, fluid skirts, and flashes of bright neoprene. She described them as, “fluo green and pink.  Pink’s not my color, it’s very feminine, but I love them together—it’s kind of sporty like a ying & yang.”  Meanwhile the brand’s signature swimwear and lingerie was accompanied by matching resin jewelry designed in collaboration with Orly Genger. Part two took note from beetles and used gold and grey fabric’s to emphasize the architectural elements including wing-like extensions and decorative fluting. Together, the two presented a strong case for intellectual weekend dressing with a strong story—though no backbone!—behind it.

Click here to see the rest of the spring collections!