Ong Oaj Pairam

For Spring Summer 2017 acclaimed womenswear designer Ong-Oaj Pairam transports us to that happy place, where fashion is fun once again. Our everyday troubles are forgotten as Pairam presents a collection that radiates vibrancy wrapped up in a palpable excitement.

As if on a great American road trip, inspirations take you from the Wild West to the Deep South and finishing off at the Grand Canyon. Pairam looks to empowering female country singers from Dolly Parton to Shania Twain and Wild West iconography for inspiration.

Delicate, ultra-feminine materials and colourways of silk and organza in Dolly Parton Pink and vintage floral prints sit happily alongside rodeo-approved suede and ponyskin, complete with cowboy neckerchief prints. Key looks include show-girl fringed and beaded cocktail dresses, statement leopard print jumpsuits and candy-sweet Prairie dresses.

There is also a nod to David Hockney’s Grand Canyon painting with key colours of sunset red, midnight blue, cactus green and burnt orange that are brought to life on silhouettes that parallel the natural desert formations, seen as cascading ruffles and frills on an evening dress.

Spring/Summer 2017 might see Pairam’s culmination of the American dream but of course, there is a signature twist, as this is all merged with the hi-octane vibrancy of Ettore Sottsass and his minimal Atomic Age furniture designs, that bring the mid-century influences right up to date.