As
the leaves of the trees transition from summer to fall, the woods beckon us,
inviting us to hike the trails of the changing landscape. There is a sense of
the unknown as you enter the depths of the forest beneath the towering canopy
of tree branches.
Designer
Alberta Ferretti explored this wooded theme in her Fall 2016 collection.
Dresses and coats feature textures, colors and prints that move through all
aspects of the forest environment.
They take us from the bark of the trees, to
the furry creatures living on the forest floor, to the moss covered rocks, to
the birds floating across the sky and to the blooming flower patches.
As
a symbol, the woods have mixed meanings. Taylor Swift asked, “Are we out of the
woods yet?” on her 1989 album as an expression of relational uncertainty and
turmoil. People often desire to be out of the woods when they think of bad
situations and wanting to leave the darkness of their circumstances. It's like a wish to leave the woods in order to enter the light of
the clearing.
But
not everything in the woods is bad or something to be escaped. As the Fairy
Godmother said in Cinderella, “If Cinderella had not entered the
woods, she would have never met her prince.”
Sometimes
we have to enter the woods, though darker than the sunlit path and perhaps a
bit ominous, for the chance to discover and grow in new ways.
“The
prettier the flower, the farther from the path.” –Little Red Riding Hood, Into
the Woods
As
we step past the shadows, the sun shines a bit a brighter. With the sun
dappling through the leaves of the trees, the flowers are able to spring forth,
adding life and color to the wooded wonderland we call life.
It simply takes a few steps from the path to find the promise of the flowers. So take a breath and get ready to explore your very own wonderland.
Runway photos: Vogue.com
