Russell Sage
REVIEW
COMPLETE COLLECTION
LONDON, September 12, 2002
By Sarah Mower
Russell Sage opened London fashion week for spring 2003 by invoking the name of fellow Brit Charles Frederick Worth, the Victorian gentleman who set up the very first haute couture house in Paris. Seeking to restore pride in the grand, almost-lost tradition of English craftsmanship, Sage enlisted the help of centuries-old U.K. businesses, from tailors Davies & Son and shirtmakers Turnbull & Asser to Lobb & Co. (shoes) and the Gainsborough Silk Weaving Company (brocades).Though there’s no doubting Sage’s wish to support his country’s heritage, he seemed to be at a loss in terms of how to harness all that history. Reverting to his own background as a dealer in antique furnishing fabrics, he added fragments of precious Chinese silks, taffetas and velvets—all intrinsically beautiful in dusty, time-faded colors—to the mix. But he struggled to find a silhouette on which to pin all these marvelous materials. His conceptual thread wandered from vaguely 1960s black dresses to obis fastened with vast padded bows in back to 1950s swimsuit shapes made in brocade.
The designer’s best moment was a series of high-waisted dresses, in a rainbow of coral, pistachio, sky blue and violet, detailed with inserts of reclaimed crushed velvet. For some in the audience, though, the only place to look was forward—to his next project, the interior design of a château belonging to the cognac house Hine (a commission from LVMH). Dressing walls, windows and furniture instead of girls just might be the best use of Sage’s talents.
/
/
/
see all designers ›
Spring 2003 Ready-to-Wear
A
|
B
|
C
|
D
|
E
|
F
|
G
|
H
|
I
|
J
|
K
|
L
|
M
|
N
|
O
|
P
|
R
|
S
|
T
|
V
|
W
|
Y
|
Z
|
-
A
A.F. Vandevorst Alberta Ferretti Alessandro Dell'Acqua Alexander McQueen Alexandre Herchcovitch Alice Roi Anna Sui Ann Demeulemeester Anne Klein Antonio Berardi -
B
Badgley Mischka Balenciaga BCBG Max Azria Behnaz Sarafpour Betsey Johnson Bill Blass Blaak Boudicca Burberry Prorsum -
C
Cacharel Calvin Klein Carolina Herrera Celine Chloé Christian Dior Christian Lacroix Comme des Garçons Costume National -
D
D&G Diane von Furstenberg DKNY Dolce & Gabbana Donna Karan Dries Van Noten -
E
Eley Kishimoto Emanuel Ungaro Emilio Pucci Emma Cook Emporio Armani -
F
Fendi FrostFrench -
G
Gianfranco Ferré Gibo Giorgio Armani Givenchy Gucci -
H
Hamish Morrow Helmut Lang Hussein Chalayan -
I
Imitation of Christ Istvan Francer -
J
James Coviello Jean Paul Gaultier Jeremy Scott Jill Stuart Jil Sander John Galliano Julien Macdonald Junya Watanabe -
K
Katayone Adeli Kenneth Cole New York -
L
Lagerfeld Gallery Lanvin Louis Vuitton Luella -
M
M.R.S. Marc by Marc Jacobs Marc Jacobs Markus Lupfer Marni Martine Sitbon Matthew Williamson Maurizio Pecoraro MaxMara Michael Kors Miguel Adrover Missoni Miu Miu Moschino -
N
Narciso Rodriguez -
O
Oscar de la Renta -
P
Paul Smith Women Peter Som Pierrot Prada -
R
Rafael Lopez Ralph Lauren Rick Owens Roberto Cavalli Roland Mouret Ruffo Research Russell Sage -
S
Sonia Rykiel Sophia Kokosalaki Stella McCartney -
T
Tommy Hilfiger Tyler -
V
Valentino Vera Wang Veronique Branquinho Versace Versus Viktor & Rolf -
W
Warren Noronha -
Y
Y-3 Yohji Yamamoto Yves Saint Laurent -
Z
Zac Posen
