Block colouring, royal tones, strong shapes and lady-like lace and drapes are what Issa’s 2011 collection swear by. Red is clashed with green, blue with beige and purple with navy in a bold amalgamation of textures, lengths, twists and turns. Issa has a way of draping fabric to create flattering and exciting silhouettes – so much so, future queen and Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton chose to wear one of Issa’s designs to her engagement interview. See here. This purple lace cocktail dress is perhaps one of my favourites out of the current collection – the deep shade of aubergine-come-plum purple is intriguing and sophisticated, and would no doubt look even more eye-popping against my own fair skin tone.
But the Issa-love doesn’t stop there. Take last week’s episode of America’s Next Top Model (S16E11) where the final 4 girls had to model Issa’s latest collection on the streets of Marrakesh. The emerald green dress pictured here is what contestant Molly was given to wear. They had her pair the dress with some vibrant blue palazzo-style trousers. Tradition shouts that blue and green should never be seen – but I think Issa is the best exception to this rule. The girls of the competition even got to meet Daniella Issa Helayel herself! Wearing an evening gown with a turban, as in this photo, may not be everyone’s cup of tea – but you certainly can’t deny it made you look twice.
Visit http://www.issalondon.com to see the S/S and A/W 2011 collections.
