Following on from the sombre mood of his fall/winter 2013 show, Emilio de la Morena presented another more mature and refined collection for spring/summer 2014. The Spanish designer, Central Saint Martins and London College of Fashion graduate previously worked for Raphael Lopez and Jonathan Saunders, so he’s seen how the best in the industry work and how a designer can grow over the years. This season, his flouncy feminine girls have grown into their own fully-fledged urban women.
Morena asserts that he was on a quest to “redefine his woman” for spring/summer 2014, “stripping away flounces and frills in order to build his collection with renewed verve and clarity.” The collection was developed from the inspiration of a men’s sleeveless waxed jacket and one can see why. Morena is clearly predicting a wet summer for next year, as he sent macs down the runway in shades of teal, dusty burgundy, gunmetal and lavender: “a palette of deep tourmaline.” Fabrics were delicately rough – shot silk in rich tones, stone-colored hessian, and cobwebbed knitwear.
Referencing Spanish artisanal techniques, the collection saw paper-bag waists, patchwork, and fraying. Loose-fitting dresses brought a deconstructive Yamamoto-esque touch to the collection, but retained the Morena femininity with the addition of fan-shaped rosettes, over breasts and on pockets.
Hemlines were all modestly below the knee, and there were lots of trousers. In concordance with the emerging spring/summer 2014 trends, there were cut-outs at waists and the occasional visible midriff. Pattern was also used, as little floral motifs were peppered across black dresses.
There’s a lightness to this collection. Nothing seems cumbersome or heavy and fabrics look easy to wear – all items were easy to walk in, work in, and frolic. Morena obviously considered that someone might actually wear the pieces, which shouldn’t be as rare as it is on the runways, and the tones and cuts are sophisticated and rich. With this latest collection, Morena showed the world his aesthetic is all grown up.
