Inspired by her Greek heritage and its ancient mythologies, Dimitra Petsa looked to the story of Persephone for fall. For those unfamiliar: She was the daughter of the goddess Demeter, who was abducted by Hades, and then later became the queen of the underworld. With the collection, titled Breaking and Healing, the designer wanted to honor the growth and transformation that Persephone has experienced.
Petsa started the show with a guided meditation in the pitch black show space of the Old Selfridges Hotel, narrating it herself from a superimposed rock structure as though the audience members were Persephone embarking on her voyage into the underworld. As the show progressed, her delivery became more emotive, even to the point of pouring wine-like substance all over herself. “I wanted to set the tone right—even if the theme seems moodier than usual, in order to heal and grow, you have to go through the darkness,” the designer said in a preview. “The darkness becomes the light.”
When it came to honing in on her signatures, Petsa was on her A-game—whether it was her popular wet-look illusion dresses, which have been elevated in Lycra and silks in dark hues, or the placements of healing crystals like clear quartz—to encourage “tenderness, and letting go”—as decorative features on dress straps and headdresses. Elsewhere, paneled leather and velvet were sensuously placed like mosaics on mesh dresses, a new technique for the brand.
In a continuation from last season, Petsa developed new twists on maternity styles, only this time, certain pieces were designed for those who want to be “pregnant with themselves,” via corseted hand-embroidered bumps. Knitted denim separates with frayed panels inserted vertically also stood out as a strong moment. For the finale, she showed a cut-out silk chiffon dress that featured corset boning wings, a silhouette that elevated (quite literally) her ethereal sensibilities.
