The Bite Magazine - Spring/Summer 2023 - Issue 33

bitefashion A model with a large purple hat, perhaps a nod to some of Ward’s mentor Karl La- gerfeld’s inclination for more whimsical looks for 1980s Chloe, made an appear- ance. Paired with the hat was a creative take on the popular blazer dress. A more regal tone of rich purple satin fabric blend- ed, with the help of cascading purple and silver sequins, into a pale blue tulle mini skirt. The split sleeves added a cape-like effect, which echoed throughout the rest of the collection. The third dress, a mermaid gown with me- tallic fabric which shifted from purple to blue as the model walked, sported large plumes of ruffles and a dramatic asymmet- ric neckline and borrowed the pattern of sequins from the look before it. Following closely behind was another purple gown with numerous chiffon ruffles at the base and another large hat. From there, the silhouettes of the gowns started to shift as the eager crowd was introduced to an A-line dress with small squares and rectangles in varying shades of purple embroidery, which sprinkled down from the bodice onto the skirt like confetti. Ward’s magical mesh was again utilised to attach a similarly embroidered collar and huge ruffled sleeves onto the deep v-neck bodice. A colour shift created a periwinkle gown with a subtle, almost tie-dye effect. The jewel-encrusted sweetheart neckline and strands of silver foil stamped onto the fab- ric twinkled under the lights, while the large, floral-like ruffles hugged the model’s shoulders like a shawl brought memories of some of Gianfranco Ferré’s Dior silhou- ettes. A nude-coloured fit-and-flare dress show- cased a pointed neckline and luminescent fabric sewn into the bodice like many shards of glass and gave way to a delicate peach gown with ruched dolman sleeves, a cape and a dusting lengths of bronze and silver glitters. A head-to-toe ombre glitter gown with a geometric floating cowl and chiffon cape and a modernised take on the Dior ‘new look’ silhouette with layers of peach tulle rounded out the first ten looks. Images courtesy of Tony Ward Couture