WARDROBE FOUNDATIONS
ALL THINGS CONSIDERED
For Autumn-Winter ’23, Oroton’s Sophie Holt is proposing a neat styling trick: wear a shirt or a buttoned knit to dinner but wear it back to front. It’s a twist, a literal one, that says a lot about how she sees fashion, the need for a sense of playfulness and surprise right now, but also versatility and the reality of what everyday style requires. The Creative Director has been thinking through ways to extend your wardrobe from Monday through Sunday – in Holt’s mind, what you wear to the office should also work at night, on the school run and weekend casual.
BY NATASHA INCHLEY
FEBRUARY 2023
That idea is explored in a series of clever silhouette choices for winter – think of them as the ultimate wardrobe foundation pieces which layer together beautifully. Here, utility dressing and reimagined cargo shapes are major themes: the Cream Trench in a luxe linen blend, for instance, is a traditional style made modern via its cropped length and structured collar. Wear it with matching zipper pants for a kind of sporty take on the workday suit, or over a belted Stripe Dress, a silk Shirt Dress in an earthy shade of Tobacco. (Bonus points if you’re prepared to layer that dress over Flat Front Pants, tunic-style. It’s a new mood we’re loving).
Then there’s the Tailored Midi Skirt in shades of Rye and Black, with its regimental detailing and exaggerated pockets, a look that can be balanced with a wide-collared shirt in Khaki cotton poplin, the crispness of a long-line blazer or the prettiness of a Button Detail Bodice. The options are endless, but the message is clear: dress to feel good, for confidence, but more importantly, be brave.
Drill down, and you see a pattern: the design team has been experimenting with a play on opposites – the hard and soft, structured and floating, the vintage and the new, the softly slouched with the architectural. It’s all about building on a chic kind of nonchalance which is elevated by the tension of unusual and luxe details, a unique colour palette, the tactility of heavy linens, crisp cottons and silks, assured designs – and it all feels so personal.
The season’s accessories follow a similar theme. Take the crescent-shaped Penny Hobo Bag or the Alice Crossbody in pebbled leather – the quality and craftmanship is impeccable, a hallmark of the Australian brand, the designs are exciting too, like exclamation marks. Another obvious clue to the house’s joie de vivre and sense of independence is in its artwork: winter’s signature motif is a botanical Fern print stamped with Oroton’s founding year, 1835. It’s a reminder to stand out, make a statement with your clothes and dare to be different.
WARDROBE FOUNDATIONS
ALL THINGS CONSIDERED
For Autumn-Winter ’23, Oroton’s Sophie Holt is proposing a neat styling trick: wear a shirt or a buttoned knit to dinner but wear it back to front. It’s a twist, a literal one, that says a lot about how she sees fashion, the need for a sense of playfulness and surprise right now, but also versatility and the reality of what everyday style requires. The Creative Director has been thinking through ways to extend your wardrobe from Monday through Sunday – in Holt’s mind, what you wear to the office should also work at night, on the school run and weekend casual.
BY NATASHA INCHLEY
FEBRUARY 2023
That idea is explored in a series of clever silhouette choices for winter – think of them as the ultimate wardrobe foundation pieces which layer together beautifully. Here, utility dressing and reimagined cargo shapes are major themes: the Cream Trench in a luxe linen blend, for instance, is a traditional style made modern via its cropped length and structured collar. Wear it with matching zipper pants for a kind of sporty take on the workday suit, or over a belted Stripe Dress, a silk Shirt Dress in an earthy shade of Tobacco. (Bonus points if you’re prepared to layer that dress over Flat Front Pants, tunic-style. It’s a new mood we’re loving).
Then there’s the Tailored Midi Skirt in shades of Rye and Black, with its regimental detailing and exaggerated pockets, a look that can be balanced with a wide-collared shirt in Khaki cotton poplin, the crispness of a long-line blazer or the prettiness of a Button Detail Bodice. The options are endless, but the message is clear: dress to feel good, for confidence, but more importantly, be brave.
Drill down, and you see a pattern: the design team has been experimenting with a play on opposites – the hard and soft, structured and floating, the vintage and the new, the softly slouched with the architectural. It’s all about building on a chic kind of nonchalance which is elevated by the tension of unusual and luxe details, a unique colour palette, the tactility of heavy linens, crisp cottons and silks, assured designs – and it all feels so personal.
The season’s accessories follow a similar theme. Take the crescent-shaped Penny Hobo Bag or the Alice Crossbody in pebbled leather – the quality and craftmanship is impeccable, a hallmark of the Australian brand, the designs are exciting too, like exclamation marks. Another obvious clue to the house’s joie de vivre and sense of independence is in its artwork: winter’s signature motif is a botanical Fern print stamped with Oroton’s founding year, 1835. It’s a reminder to stand out, make a statement with your clothes and dare to be different.
