The natural phenomenon of a liquid morphing into a solid is on designer Kit Willow-Podgornik’s mind. The fall/winter collection for her youth-quaking line, Willow, is aptly named ICE. “It’s the literal transformation of my spring/summer H20 range,” Podgornik expounds. “The designs are transitioning in structure and style, much like the freezing of water.” This figurative crystallization reads in her wares as more structural tailoring—a move away from total fluidity via exquisite draping and tucking—coupled with tough detailing, such as corsetry, grommets and zippers. More literally, laser-cut frills reminiscent of snowflakes and glass shards affixed across hems serve to further solidify the theme.
The models’ tresses mirror this transition between ice and liquid, bringing a definite cool factor to the mix. Thus, the formation of a ponytail follows “the elegant lines of the clothes,” recounts Australian überstylist and ghd collaborator Renya Xydis, but is made somewhat more fluid by “adding texture to relax the style a little.” Making the look even more malleable are two random twists that emerge like tiny swells off a center part. “Rather than pulling the hair back into a normal ponytail, sections are created which are then twisted to give some depth and difference,” Xydis explains. “This is a big theme this season—the updo with some organized chaos thrown into the mix.”