Either you use limitations to your advantage and make a collection that highlights the beauty of making do, or you turn to the unlimited resources of the internet and technology and make a virtual fantasy to showcase real clothes. For spring, Hanako Maeda, the designer of Adeam, chose the latter (though she went with the former for the resort 2021 season).
The resulting digital show’s CGI landscape, Adeam Island, is rosy with crystal blue waters punctuated improbably by palm trees. The models walk along a narrow strip that calls to mind the highway around Australia’s famous pink lake.
The cast is visibly pasted in, and the effect is more like a collage than a standard video. The clothes evoke a true lady on vacation: someone who will relax at the beach and sip a mojito but still makes sure to pack gray, windowpane-printed, chambray suit separates in case they’re needed.
That is true to the longstanding vision of the Adeam woman. Maeda is known for creating ever-appropriate feminine clothes that make just enough of a statement. This season, the most casual pieces are a souvenir-like graphic T-shirt and an anklet made from shells and baroque pearls.
The label’s take on a Hawaiian print (you know, the kind that tourist dads wear?) appears on satin twill in blouses and dresses. A standout look is a baby blue basketweave tank top with fringe paired with coordinating wide-leg trousers. A little edge would have been nice, but our stay at Adeam Island was certainly easy breezy.
(Photos Credit: Vogue Runway)