Kobi Halperin’s pre-fall collection was awash with more prints than typically expected from a designer who’s injected his brand with signature embroidery and embellishments. Inspired by James Abbott McNeill Whistler’s “The Peacock Room” and the larger “cult of beauty” aesthetic movement in Britain, he made a deep dive into prints with varying effect.
He abstracted the peacock painting into a lovely blouse, skirt and dress, while rainbow florals, paisley and an abstract watercolor print worked for easy and flowy day dresses and chic pajama sets. The ones resembling wallpaper and home decor were perhaps more campy than customers will expect.
“I don’t want to compare what we do as fashion designers necessarily as art, but I do feel very comfortable saying that I love creating beauty and I love to make my customers look and feel beautiful,” Halperin said.
He balanced leisure and sophistication with a range of approachable pieces, from softly tailored unlined blazers paired with drawstring trousers to sporty jackets with rounded and ruched sleeves and sheer tailoring to entice customers to get back to dressing up. Familiar were simply chic blouses featuring various feather and floral embroidery motifs. “It’s about dreaming about getting dressed again, but not letting go of comfort,” he noted.