Emilia Wickstead brought pillbox hats to the runway at London Fashion Week, likely ushering in a new hat trend for the year.
The New Zealand born designer’s autumn winter collection looked to Alfred Hitchcock’s film The Birds (1963) for inspiration.
Hitchcock, who was born in east London, made his name in the UK before moving to Hollywood where he made a succession of classic films including Psycho, Rear Window and The Birds.
In the shocking 1963 film, based on a story by Daphne du Maurier, wild birds turn on a small Californian town, launching increasingly calculated and deadly attacks on the hapless population.
Wickstead’s collection was inspired by The Birds’ visionary costume designer Edith Head, alongside its cast including the magnetic American actress Tippi Hedren.
Head, who died in 1981, won a string of Oscars for costume design during her esteemed career, including wins for the films All About Eve, Sabrina and A Place in the Sun.
Held at the Saatchi Gallery in South West London, the show kicked off with the film’s staccato string soundtrack flooding the room, as models strode onto the runway with power and purpose.
Wickstead is famed for her strong use of colour-blocking and exacting craftsmanship.
Loved by the Princess of Wales, Wickstead’s designs effortlessly combine tradition and the romance of bygone eras through refined silhouettes with contemporary twists.
This collection did not stray far from her style maxim, featuring utilitarian cuts, Sixties shift dresses and mod-style skirts.
Wickstead kept her focus on the preppy side of the 1960s, with knitwear flung over shoulders and modest dresses paired with pill box hats.
The evening wear screamed old-Hollywood glamour, with floor length shawls, scooped necklines and doll-like empire lines.
The use of accessories was juxtaposed, with pillbox hats paired with cargo boots, and the palette neutral featuring taupe, pale pinks and mint.
The looks also featured colour blocking, very much in keeping with the monochromatic style of the Sixties.
On the beauty front, the looks on the runway couldn’t help but conjure up comparisons to the ‘trad wife’ trend, with neat beehives, polished skin and natural eye make-up all on show.
The collection was led by the idea of film costumes surpassing simple fashion trends, and instead also embodying the resilience and vulnerability of the character.
During the show, Wickstead reflected on Head’s mastery of character-driven design while celebrating the stories and lasting influence of these remarkable women.
“You can have anything you want in life if you dress for it,” Head is quoted as once saying.
Speaking to British Vogue ahead of the collection being shown, Wickstead said: “I always dive really deep into the inspiration… when you become obsessed that’s when you get the best out of the details.
“I guess I’m celebrating the stories, and the parts that these women played… because I think they’re remarkable women.”
