Kate Sylvester draws inspiration from the paintings of American modernist artist Milton Avery. Images supplied.
The elegant new Spring/Summer collection from acclaimed designer Kate Sylvester recently started arriving in stores and online, offering a welcome dose of charming seasonal blooms. For this latest range, Kate Sylvester drew inspiration from the paintings of American modernist artist Milton Avery, who was known for his fascinating use of colour and rejection of strict realism. The designer has translated this artistic inspiration into a contemporary range of sublime pieces that celebrate the power and positivity of femininity.
Fittingly, the collection is simply titled Avery after the artist himself. The way that his eye-catching paintings play with dynamic colour blocking, summery colour palettes, and minimal shapes was a perfect place to begin developing a fashion collection guided by Kate Sylvester’s expert eye.
The designer is well known for her love of literature and art and appreciated Avery’s gaze towards his ‘bookish’ female subjects, which is both friendly and quietly empathetic. The artist had an outstanding gift for colour and his paintings simplify subject matter to its purest form, creating the illusion of space almost entirely through colour. His work was bold yet harmonious with serene landscapes and domestic scenes his favoured subject matter.
The influence of Avery can be seen in the beautiful colour blocking and often simplified forms of this new collection. Kate Sylvester has utilised a rainbow of appealing hues that work perfectly with the designer’s stylish shapes and silhouettes this season. In a nod to Milton Avery’s era, they feature nostalgic mid-century references, including cinched-in waists, collars, and midi-length skirts of the ’50s and boxy, pared-back shapes of the ’60s. These are enhanced by a charming cut-out floral motif, which is utilised with a brooch-like effect on delightful knits, tailored jackets, and swoon-worthy dresses. The same floral has also been used for a gorgeous print.
Stripping away the superfluous in homage to Avery’s signature forms, Kate Sylvester’s blazers lose lapels, trimmings are used sparingly, and details are simple, considered, and intentional. The brand’s popular suiting is sleek and modern while delicately embroidered pieces are subtle and refined. The use of an abstract block-colour print denotes the escapism of summer sunsets and seascapes, which are suitably serene.
The result is a positively delightful range designed to enchant and subtly empower the wearer with its sublime use of colour and covetable style. Avery’s women possessed a quiet strength and poise while Kate Sylvester’s are optimistic and self-assured – ready for the joy of spring ahead.
Images supplied.