Bodyline styling for winter ’87

Press, 21 February 1987, Page 16

Bodyline styling for winter ’87

If you are in the mood for seduction Panache has the ammunition, as JANETTA MACKAY found at Barbara Lee’s winter show.

Hemlines hitched just above the knee defined the new shapeliness of winter fashions shown at this week’s Barbara Lee parade. The new length was sported already by some in a well-groomed audience.

The Christchurch designer with a confirmed reputation as a classicist this week presented a collection in which the newest lines were body-hug-ging knits and figureskimming wool crepes. Short and sassy given es-

tablishment approval. For the less leggy feminine, flowing looks had hemlines just skirting the ankle.

, Gilt-buttoned separates and white-collared, swaying day dresses took the cue from Karl Lagerfeld’s revitalisation of the House

of Chanel. Wool jersey was wellworked in contouring cuts. A red cross-over front dress gained formality when topped with a cardigan jacket. Jackets with dresses were a favoured option for a softer suit style.

Trenchcoats wrapped up the new narrowness. Other outerwear swung long in full-shouldered, belted woollens. These were coats to swagger in, some fur-collared, and most featuring a deep, rear hem vent. Daywear colours were

black, siren red, charcoal greys, dull purple, deep claret, navy, and a seagreen, which when tending towards jade looked dated.

Music selection for the showing rarely missed a beat. The Chills’ chart success, “I Love My Leather Jacket,” amused, as screened skins that no New Zealand band member could afford, slinked by.

The designer, Brigid Brock, had returned from Melbourne to see her

locally-made, internation-ally-recognised garments. Amazonian proportions were this season trimmed more leanly. Her trademark screenprinting of colour was toned down, coupling black with wine or tobacco. Dark grey was a variation on black. Textured leather trousers had the look of rubber. Sharon Ng was given exposure for her niched stretch knit dresses in clear yellow, red, and black.

Men dressed by Vidor; stripped to singlets to company Barbara Lee’s high-class gypsies down the runway. Her evening wear featured fitting strapless velvet bodices and flounced lace skirts in black and white. Embossed organza fell in bounded cascades. i The “bride” wore & slinky, sequinned silver number with a bias-cut, straight skirt. Her tulletopped turban completed a Gloria Swanson ensemV ble.