Autumn Winter 2004

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Richard Lewis at the Abbey

Autumn Winter 2004

Once again, Richard Lewis is proud to be associated with the centenary of our National Theatre

Fifty years after the opening of the Abbey saw the closure of the fashion house of Elsa Schiaparelli, one of the most influential and innovative designers of the 20^thCentury.

The 1930s was the period when Schiap was at her height;it was a period during which ladies dressed for lunch –a stylish wool coat, a neat dress and jacket, exquisite shoes, the quintessential hat and of course the gloves,all enhanced by just a touch of baroque costume jewellery. Flesh was hardly exposed at all before dusk.

For evening discretion was the keyword, a sombre evening dress but with a plunging back, bare shouldersand arms were disguised by full length evening gloves. Glamour and chic never go out of fashion they were as important then as they are today.

It may have been a different era but today’s ladies still need to dress for lunch, the difference being that today they are business lunches.

For evening, 21^st century women still want to be glamorous and treated as ladies.The cigarette may not be lit for them across the diningtable but admiring glances are still welcomed.

For Autumn Winter 2004 Richard has taken all the elements of Schiaparelli’s innovation and used it to produce a collection that hopefullyis a true tribute to the lady who first introduced shoulder pads, who first had zips dyed to match her couture collection who pioneered the wearing of shocking pink and who loved a senseof humour in her clothes

One of Schiaparelli’s commandments states: ‘Never fit a dress to the body, but train the body to fit the dress.’This is one belief to which Richard would never subscribe, but another of her commandments, ‘A woman should buy mostly in one place where she is known and respected,and not rush around trying every new fad’, is one that he finds very acceptable.