Last time we spoke with Gail Reid of cult women’s wear label Gail Sorronda, the Brisbane born designer, stylist and sometime model unveiled an unlikely affinity for science fiction and multiple personalities. Odd though it might have seemed, when I speak to Reid now about her AW 11 collection Polar Desert, it’s hard to dismiss those esoteric reference points as just passing fascinations: “Polar Desert takes inspiration from the universe’s life cycle.” she explains. “The first stage is duality and contrast. Then, every half a million years when the Earth’s magnetic fields somersault there is a return to unity and oneness.“
Taking a break from stints in Italy and France, Reid oversaw the entire design process in her hometown of Brisbane. “We were lucky enough to set up our studio in my friend’s house in Brisbane and I was there for the whole duration of the design process.” she says. “It was a transitionary period and I’d purged a lot of my personal possessions so the space was very minimal and sparse. Maybe that in turn influenced my aesthetic. But I was for the most part escaping into the polar desert landscape at a time when change is happening and the poles are flipped.”
The result is a retrained take on Reid’s trademark mix of monochromatic, diaphanous and sophisticated women’s wear. In her own words: “I wanted this collection to be stripped back to a minimal simplicity with emphasis on silhouette. As a result I exercised restraint and paid special attention to classic tailoring alongside feminine drape, ruffles and volume. I developed a hat for the first time with a milliner in Brisbane too.”
Check out the collection via What Are They Wearing Now
Gail Sorronda is stocked at The Corner Shop, Fallow, Bessie Head, Cecylia, Maximillia and The Dreamery.
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