Photo: Courtesy of Vera Wang
Vera Wang has been in a darkly romantic rut lately and, more often than not, it has worked for her. In these recent seasons, she’s never explored this much tailoring and rigid construction before; she’s better known for her bridal gowns and red carpet numbers. But with her Fall 2019 collection, we’re not exactly sure if she hit the nail on the head. We’d even argue that this was a miss for a variety of reasons. Inspired by the Celts across the pond, she focused her somber romanticism into the strong communities that formed that culture. But in our opinion, it all came out looking confused and costume-y. What we’ve always appreciated about Wang’s works is her knack for subtlety no matter the narrative. She never let her inspiration overtake her sense of precision and sharp styles, but here, it’s as if she surrendered relentlessly. Apart from the well-cut tailored pantsuit in plaid, most of the looks here were either too confusing or too overwhelming. What was with that sequinned dress that had little to no relevance to the entire line? And that seemingly hybrid of a lacy tulle dress and plaid pantsuit—what was that all about? In our view, if your line bore too many questions and not enough praise, then it’s problematic. We’re not sure how well this will sell come fall!
