What is the linkage between fashion and a hunter who kills buffalos? The obvious answer would be ‘nothing’.
What Spanish-based label Bimba Y Lola does with its latest Fall/Winter 2015 collection was proving that there is always another way of looking at things that is more than meets the eye.
Aptly titled ‘This is Buffalo Bill’, the collection takes inspiration from William Frederick Cody (whose nickname is ‘Buffalo Bill’) who was an interesting figure in the American Civil War in the mid-1800s. According to historical documentations, Buffalo Bill has purportedly killed 4,282 American buffalos within a span of eighteen month in order to supply the Kansas Pacific Railroad workers with buffalo meat. Not only that, he was a man of many hats, with other occupations ranging from a trapper to a bullwhacker, a ‘Fifty-Niner’ in Colorado, as well as a wagonmaster, to name a few.
Despite his many jobs, Buffalo Bill was, in fact, world famous for the founding of the Wild West Shows, which has toured in Great Britain and Europe from 1887 to 1906, showing his European audiences, including Queen Victoria, an exotic piece of the American West and a glimpse of the fading American frontier.
Therefore, by fashioning the latest offerings from the season on this legendary showman, the collection pivots iconic elements such as the American Indian artifacts and totems, firearms as well as folk art that depicts the rodeos, and incorporate into its range of women’s apparels, bags, shoes and accessories, in the form of Navajo printed patterns and sewn-on appliques.
In order to give it a modern take as well, the cuts of the clothes, especially jackets, were seemingly utilitarian and easy-to-match, with interesting embellishments such as fringing along the hemline of sheath dresses and tops to give any outfit an extra flair.
Needless to say, one of the things that struck a chord with us were the quirky and eye-catching accessories from the collection.
Unabashedly vibrant and bold, these accessories, ranging from shoulder-grazing earrings to huge statement-making necklaces with a mix of eclectic motifs and beadings to leather gloves and enamel rings, are anything but subtle. In fact, they are perfect conversation starters at any events.
Our personal favourites would have to be the feathered ear cuff with paint-dipped tips and the leather tassel necklace in beige with an eye-catching American Indian ornamental motif (both below).
And in the vein of the aesthetics, here is an ideal look that we have concocted based on how we envision a modern cow-girl would look like (below).
Bimba Y Lola Autumn/Winter 2015 collection is available its Ion Orchard store from July 2015 onwards.
For more information, do visit Bimba Y Lola’s website.
Lookbook images taken from Bimba Y Lola press kit
Accessories and scarves shots taken by Felly Loi
COUTURE TROOPERS MAGAZINE 