Greta Constantine designer Kirk Pickersgill is celebrating his 20th year in business. This is admittedly no small feat for a Canadian label, where the fashion industry is notably minuscule, and it can be challenging to grow and sustain a brand on a more global scale. “I’m so proud, as an immigrant, to still be doing what I love to do,” says Pickersgill. “I feel like it’s just the beginning.”
For his new fall collection, Pickersgill wanted to double down on what the brand does best: red carpet and gala glamour. Yet Pickersgill says he wanted to do so in a way that reflects what feels modern now: It was less about diving into his 20 years of archives, and more about looking forward and pushing his signature formal attire into the next chapter. “Diana Vreeland once said ‘I loathe nostalgia,’ and I feel the same way,” he says. “I don’t need to go back into my past to create my future.”
As usual, cocktail dresses and gowns were the focus, and Pickersgill’s experiments with various textures and silhouettes gave them an update. His opening look was a burgundy sequined floor-length gown with subtle floral embroidery overtop, paired with a hefty black jacket made up of fringed threads—a juxtaposition of formal and classic, yet a little theatrical, too. “I love pieces that have movement,” he says. Pickersgill always does great color, and that came through here via his structured take on a yellow collared shirt dress which featured a tiered skirt and sweeping train. A cotton tank dress, in coral, boasted individually-placed petals all over it. “I love creating pieces that, when someone enters a room, make you just want to go up closer,” he said.
His more demure black pieces had some visual interest going on, too. A simple strapless black column gown featured a ruffled, petal-shaped organza hemline— business at the top, party at the bottom. These may not be the most unexpected of designs, but for Pickersgill, they’ve worked for over two decades. “This collection is a love letter to the people who have come and gone, and why this company still exists.”
