On the 18th of September 2015, ISATU HARRISON brought her Spring/Summer 2016 IZELIA collection to the Millennium Gloucester Hotel, 4-18 Harrington Gardens, South Kensington, London, SW7 4LH.
With her exuberantly eclectic style, ISATU HARRISON put on a typically vibrant performance, throwing a storm of colour onto her spring/summer 2016 couture catwalk.
Rampaging through any shade she could find, she produced a highly luxurious and supremely feminine collection, a cacophony of brilliantly rich splashes and prints that fulfilled every expectation of her, producing a supremely feminine collection using fabrics that suggested she had rummaged through the most luxurious of haberdashery boxes that you could say, had a touch of the Christian Lacroix about it.
This was the IZELIA brand to the core, but she refused to let the chaos take over.
The designer’s breathtaking collection featured a delicious palette that ran from lemon and lime sorbet to pomegranate and featured piles of gold, African-inspired prints splashed over a selection of dresses and jumpsuits that were tailored to the point of perfection, as if the designer had forfeited any need to cut the fabric.
The Sierra Leonean designer, whose strength is her ability to celebrate the feminine capacity to be seriously spoilt, gave her models big seventies-style curly hair and layered on the eyeshadow and lipstick to give them a air of high maintenance narcissism.
Models were wrapped in an explosion of colour and luxurious fabrics with exuberant head-wraps that demonstrated Isatu’s desire to discover what women really want.
Isatu produced a spring/summer wardrobe that was rich in detail, finish, and texture, with a slim, somewhat sixties silhouette, counterpointed with the occasional controlled bursts of volume. There were exemplary denims slashed with vibrant citrus yellow, sleek and streamlined, with cinched jackets and skirts that finished just above the knee.
The IZELIA sophomore-inspired collection, featured pants, jackets, dramatic capes and long-line waiscoats that wrapped around the body like an embrace.
As for the dresses, they were expertly executed, achieving soft, supple, drapey effects, as well as more structured ones, making a famously clingy fabric practical and wearable.
Isatu balances the qualities that women expect from cutting-edge urban fashion—sportiness and sex appeal, in equal measure—with the contemplative, cerebral nature of her own approach, revealing her fondness for the folkloric aspect of her native country.
Cognac-coloured prints translating into a quietly glamorous collection of embellished feminine pieces, juxtaposed with sturdy, more masculine ones, the IZELIA brand is morphing into the go-to brand for hip young women looking for must-have pieces.
This was an accomplished collection from an inspired designer who is transmitting a jolt of excitement about contemporary dressing, with a perennially youthful eye, giving her best collections a tomboyish naturalness that manages to capture the essence of camera-ready fashion…
About Izelia…
Izelia is the creation of talented designer Isatu Harrison, who draws on her Sierra Leonean heritage to create a modern and sophisticated range of ready to wear pieces. Combining African wax prints with contemporary cuts, Izelia is a brand for those who want to make an impression in stylish and colourful outfits with high quality fabrics and precise tailoring. Each piece features a new twist on African-inspired fashion and Isatu’s interpretation of upcoming fashion trends results in a debut collection full of innovative and eye-catching pieces! The Izelia collection is a selection of pieces that include military inspired jumpsuits and dresses in both elegant floor length and chic fitted styles. Fashionistas will find something to inspire them among Izelia’s flattering stretch denim and glamorous silk chiffon materials. With African-influenced fashion taking Europe’s fashion capitals by storm, Izelia is bringing striking and sexy African prints to the high street, allowing the style conscious to sprinkle their wardrobe with up-to-the-minute multi-ethnic flair.
@IzeliaFashion
About the Millennium Gloucester Hotel…
This modern and luxurious Kensington hotel offers a relaxed environment in the heart of London. Hotels in Kensington with such charm and supreme comfort are rare. The Millennium Gloucester Hotel London Kensington effortlessly combines a convenient location with a unique sense of style and character.
The Millennium Gloucester Hotel London Kensington is also home to the Millennium Conference Centre, with 1,600 m2 of contemporary meetings and events space. Clients have a wide selection of spaces to choose from, all varying in size and style, for events such as business conferences, award ceremonies, Champagne receptions and weddings.
Situated next to Gloucester Road Underground Station, this hotel is perfectly positioned for visiting many of the British capital’s greatest attractions. They include nearby Hyde Park, the Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Palace, the Natural History Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum. Earl’s Court and Olympia Exhibition Centres are also a short walk away.
www.millenniumhotels.co.uk/millenniumgloucester
Images copyright Shane Finn (Visual Devotion) UK Runway and International Fashion Photography
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