To showcase their Spring Summer 2019 collection, Tata Naka designers Tamara and Natasha Surgulaze chose Dartmouth House as the most fitting setting for their Roman inspired pieces. The design due were influenced by Roman and greek statues and Roman Emperors Augustus, Tiberius and Titus in particular.
They also drew inspiration from the clothing worn by Roman soldiers; draping togas and tunics along with heavy pleating which represents the pteruges which were worn by greek and Roman warriors. It’s a strong collection which works well in its rotation presentation format and is complimented by opulent surroundings and a soundtrack provided by a solitary guitar player in the corner of the room.
When Brian and I arrive at the presentation we hustle to the front to avoid catching our own reflections in the huge mirror in any of our photographs, the first thing we notice is how poor the lighting is. On the plus side however, because of the presentation format we’re able to take advantage of an editorial set up and catch an outfit change too.
The pieces are beautiful, prints include hand drawings of Roman busts, these have been replicated and drawn in a classical style and coloured in Tata Naka’s signature, bespoke style. There are also marble and leopard prints throughout the collection on uber light fabrics including silks, linen, lurex and jacquards meaning the drape fits the style perfectly.
Symbols associated with ancient Greek mythology such as Gorgoneion and Griffins are also woven into the collection. Lifted from the armour of Roman and Greek warriors these ancient symbols provide the imagery for antique gold embroidered appliques, ornamental needlework in which pieces of fabric in different shapes and patterns have been sewn together to form the pattern.
For SS19 there’s also a capsule collection of jewellery in collaboration with Angela Puttini in Capri featuring enamel drawings of Tata Naka prints in black gold with natural pearls and coloured stones. It really is a beautiful collection, it’s just a shame the lighting wasn’t great otherwise these pictures could have been fantastic. All of these images were taken on an iPhone 8 Plus kindly loaned to me by Three UK for the duration of London Fashion Week.
Pixie
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