There wasn’t a single look in the entire collection of box-shaped shirt dresses and extra-wide blazers that wasn’t sliced, spliced or diced by copper-colored zippers, their sharp little metal teeth gleaming menacingly.
More often than not, they were zippers to nowhere, with little purpose beyond the purely aesthetic.
Still, many of the looks were catchy: You could imagine the square-shaped little dresses in silks or knits — zippers bisecting their ample sleeves up the back — making the leap from the runway to the street. Or the same for or a colorblock cropped pantsuit, its slim legs scarred by zippers.
Other pieces, such as hooded ponchos in a patchwork of gauzy silk colorblock, looked sure to remain consigned to the catwalk or the pages of glossy fashion magazines. After all, who’s really dying to wear something that looks like a rain slicker but without the distinct advantage of being waterproof?
In addition to his own signature line, Portuguese-born Baptista Oliviera also designs for French sportswear giant Lacoste.
