By Claire Hedgley
It was all about the underwear for Annah Stretton this year.
The show opened with a bizarre video of naked women posing under different lights to form unusual effects. The video was black and white and crackly and at first made a nice change to all the other shows but it went on far too long and the audience got restless.
Harking back to the 1930s the range, when it at last appeared, consisted of pointed bras, high waisted panties, suspenders and even a corset that looked like some kind of medieval torture device or at least a straitjacket in disguise.
The suspenders were sexy and the underwear practical but I really don’t know if the bras will be a hit. They were anything but sexy and flattering. And nude tones were as adventurous as it got.
The outfits that accompanied the underwear were sleek and silky. For the most part the garments were very feminine but a bit impractical. The idea was that they allowed the underwear to be displayed underneath but I couldn’t help thinking that in the real world I really wouldn’t want my bra on display quite to that extent. Particularly if I was wearing an Annah Stretton bra.
The collection redeemed itself with beautiful prints and a ‘wow’ ending when a model painted in gold and only wearing a pair of Annah Stretton underwear (also painted) paraded out onto the runway. The effect was fantastic and the audience loved it. She was followed by another model painted in gold who nervously walked out onto the stage. Unlike her predecessor she had thrown a knitted ‘old lady-like’ shawl over her shoulders to cover her breasts and I couldn’t help but get the feeling that she had ‘chickened out’ at the last minute.
Overall it was a strong collection and I heard other people talking about how much they loved it, so maybe it was just me who wasn’t that taken with it. Either way I have little doubt that Annah Stretton will continue to be a favourite Kiwi designer.
