One collection to keep: Leonard Resort 2016

It is almost September, so no wonder that I wanted to move my focus to the Fall/Winter collections. But I couldn’t do it, not before I remember one more beautiful resort collection: Leonard Resort 2016. One collection to keep, for sure, for many reasons.

The pieces – on www.leonard-paris.com. 

First of all, it is the first collection of the newly appointed designer, Christine Phung, as the artistic director of the house. And Phung has her name on the list of the winners of ANDAM prizes (First Collections prize in 2013).

Secondly, the collection is a perfect match of minimalism and sophistication, which aims to create a fresh yet exotic universe. A zip-front teddy jacket, sportier dresses in the brand’s signature Mikado silk jersey and some solid pieces including a jet-set white coat caught my attention. The graphic tape, emblematic of Leonard, is applied in order to highlight the lines of construction of the solid silhouettes.

Thirdly, I couldn’t take my eyes from the prints. The patterns are both organic and geometric. On a Klein blue (my obsession) , mixed with dark blue and Tyrian pink tones there are pink lotus flowers and palm leafs, poppy and coral colours are illuminated with a touch of lamé fabric.

Finally, the history: In 1958 Jacques Leonard asked Daniel Tribouillard to start a new company: Leonard Fashion. The floral prints were, from beginning, a trademark. And Daniel Tribouillard developed his style by adopting the orchid as an emblem: a delicate wild flower “without geometric limits”. In 1968, he presented his first collection of printed silk jersey dresses with a slogan emphasizing the lightness of the fabric: “The Leonard Dress: 150g of happiness”. In 1994, the House of Leonard joined the French ‘Féderation de la Couture’ and performed its first fashion show at the Carrousel du Louvre. (www.leonard-paris.com)

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