Tonight I Was Seduced By a Coat

January 08, 2010

Tonight I Was Seduced By a Coat

There I was, innocently tapping and clicking away at my keyboard, when a garment of many fabrics revealed itself through the ether, enveloped in the rhythm of my keystrokes. It must have sensed I was in the mood for a late-night rendezvous from the aroma of far away spices on my breath (tonight we had Indian take-away), and I don't know if it was my rapid heartbeat and runny nose brought on by the sultry heat of the vindaloo, but I was ripe for seduction.

I can't go on like this, my silliness is going to turn into jibberish, it's late here. But seriously, I was taken aback - I gasped and made some funny noises and my face probably looked funny - when I saw this stunning Couture Evening Coat by RSVP on Shrimpton Couture. Now, this is not something you see every day. It transcends those horrible words, "on trend" (in my humble opinion) and unites us all through our love of truly exquisite clothing. A piece like this creates its own context, taking bits from the past and infusing it with new energy. And RSVP designer and visual artist Christine Davis had a little something to do with it, too. I'm happy that Christine chose to reveal herself; until recently she was anonymously reworking vintage into extraordinary garments for Shrimpton Couture. And while her unclaimed work created an air of mystery about the person behind it, it's also nice to have a name to put with the dress, especially when it is imbued with a touch that is undoubtedly personal.

The style is based on a captain's great coat and made of almost entirely of vintage fabrics, ranging from the Victorian era to the 1970s; Cherie (Ms. Shrimpton Couture) says she counted at least a dozen different fabrics altogether.

And the details. The details!:

I want to live in the lining of this coat. While I hate to draw comparisons when a garment is so utterly unique, the 70s patterned fabric and azure blue silk makes me think of McQueen's Plato's Atlantis. Yet the exterior tells a different story with its mélange of textures and florals. The blues are breathtaking, like a mix of winter lakes and summer oceans.

You can find out more about this coat at Shrimpton Couture. And the kind of 'responsibility' I was talking about in my previous post - giving a handmade piece of work proper credit and informing potential buyers about its special attributes? Cherie is a shining example.