ABBIE'S ROAD

ABBIE'S ROAD

An extension of her Autumn/ Winter 2011 collection, Abigail Betz further explores -- and comments -- on the feminine identity by referencing mid-century style periods.
Where her 2011 collection expressed the ideal woman as the quintessentially '50's housewife in sweeping skirts and fitted waists, the 2012 collection suggests rebellion and the time of radical change, upheaval and emancipation heralded by the early '60's. In short, the housewife got bored and sent herself packing to Carnaby Street.

The range opened in two parts; the first: a tonal medley from bright white to ecru shows variations of the Quant-esque A-line smock dress featuring raised hemlines and vogueish pleating, cutting a thoroughly dynamic figure.

Darkness. Silence. When the lights beat back on, a sexier, darker side of the Betz woman emerges. She's mod and opts for shift dresses in the darker palette spectrum -- she's the sex kitten to Part 1's Jackie O.

Outerwear in taupe shows capes and belted Faille coats with exaggerated shoulders and trimmed in faux fur.

While this kind of retro-stylized collection is hardly new territory for Betz, there is a notable paradigm shift, a renewed vigour and intensity -- no doubt a reflection of profound changes in her personal life, that keeps her relevant to fashion-savvy audiences and hints at exciting things to come.

Photographs courtesy of Simon Deiner/SDR Photo