When one thinks of Batsheva, subversive innocence and doll-like dresses almost always come to mind. And in a way, such was the situation at the designer’s Fall 2019 show. With the likes of actress Christina Ricci and supermodel Veronica Webb walking as this season’s muses, Batsheva Hay presented a slightly new approach to her signature child-like style. For one thing, there was a tinge of grunge in the mix, not necessarily through the clothes themselves, but the spirit was conjured up by pairing sneakers and leather boots with the dainty floaty frocks. In fact, the closing wedding dress was actually inspired by a similar creation Courtney Love almost once wore to her own wedding. The newness continued with separates, one of the most noteworthy of which was the Peter Pan-collared tan skirt-suit on Webb. Although it’s commendable for Hay to broaden her horizons in terms of style, especially since she already has a distinct look, this show proved that grunge doesn’t work for everybody. Out of all the things we felt looking at the collection, we were mostly confused. Confused at the weird styling choices, confused at all the frumpy silhouettes, and confused as to why the designer chose grunge style in the first place. In the end, this was a half-assed attempt at going edgy, and it’s clearly not Batsheva’s style. It’ll better work for Hay if she chose themes that are more compatible with her style and not go on with such lame gimmicks. If a look made even legendary model Veronica Webb look awkward, Hay has a real problem on her hands.
Photo: Alessandro Viero / Gorunway.com
