“Does it spark joy?” has, in recent years, become an all-encompassing question thanks to the acclaimed queen of minimalism, Marie Kondo. The broad concept being that a decluttered, mindfully curated life is a happier one. We could all do with more joy in our lives, and sometimes that really can be achieved by something as simple as reorganizing your sweater drawer or color coding your underwear collection. But alongside this need for order, we all sometimes need to dial up the razzle-dazzle, and embrace the power of fashion to transform and delight. And as we move through challenging times and seismic global changes, it’s perhaps more necessary than ever to allow ourselves a space to be playful and dream big.
In recent seasons, the oversized dress has shifted from an avant-garde statement to a genuine solution for after-dark dressing. And particularly on those occasions when you want to own a room, the voluminous nature of these pieces enables you to literally take up space, thus giving the notion of power dressing a whole new spin. The first time I wore such a dress, a yellow floral Richard Quinn number to host a big event, I really did feel utterly transformed, giving me just the bounce and confidence I needed to own the room that night, and I have been a big dress convert ever since.
Molly Goddard’s name is synonymous with this look (who can forget that glorious pink iteration worn by Villanelle in the first series of Killing Eve), and her primrose-yellow tulle version shown on the catwalk at her spring/summer show was nothing short of magical. Cecilie Bahnsen and Simone Rocha are also my favorite go-to brands for some “big dress energy”. Overall, these dresses really do feel like forever pieces that give a whole new meaning to the expression “fashion as art”.
