Phase Eight Press day

There are bigger press days than the Phase Eight press event, but you would have to look long and hard to find one that is more beautiful, more elegant, more decedently glamorous and more romantic. All of these words would aptly describe the beauty of the collection for Spring/Summer 2014 that Phase Eight unveiled in it’s James Street store last week.

The whole collection just made my swoon. Made up of 1950s style floral prints that seemed to have been inspired by Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn in Sabrina, these are the dresses that will take you to every Summer wedding, every Ladies Day or Regatta. Grosgrain ribbon belts just added to the prettiness of the collection.For those who wanted a pencil skirt rather than a full skirt, there was a stunning black and white ribbon effect dress that again had echoes of Audrey, this time in her Cecil Beaton designed Ascot outfit in ‘My Fair Lady’.

Phase Eight also has an amazing bridal range, dresses for those who want something sleek and sophisticated that avoids the meringue. The latest collection has biased cut, 1930s style designs that have intricate bead work of great beauty.There are still echoes of Gatsby in the 1920s fringing that one gown featured.

And then, of course, there is the Collection 8 range. And if the regular collection has echoes of the 1950s and Grace and Audrey, Collection 8 harks back to the Golden Age of Hollywood, the 1930s and 40s, of Norma Shearer and Joan Crawford, Kay Francis and Miriam Hopkins. Totally showstopping, I adored this collection, particularly the Art Deco evening dress pictured below.