Anna October recently did a whirlwind trip to the Toronto International Film Festival to support Black Sunflowers, a documentary feature about Ukrainian twentysomethings during wartime directed by James Marcus Henry. She was one of six executive producers, along with actress Dianna Agron and Sean Penn. For the première, she wore one of her pink pregnant dresses with a sheer cape that is short in the front and trails long in the back. It’s the type of versatile piece that brings drama to a pair of jeans (today, she had on a black version) or light coverage to a bare-shouldered dress.
“I think this period my life experiencing new identities, as I designer I can implement this in the collection,” she said. “I experienced a new identity as a film producer. Film festivals and red carpet is a very strong part of my brand’s DNA. It has always been about the looks of Hollywood stars on the red carpet, and even my daywear adapts from this.”
As for other new identities, October is meant to give birth some time in November. For a designer who has built a label around feminine dresses that effortlessly grace the body, being pregnant has come with a learning curve. “The changes in my body give me a much wider experience of women,” she said in her Paris showroom.
She said, half-jokingly, that she created three “pregnant dresses” including an off-shoulder trapeze silhouette in buttercream taffeta and a strapless peony pink column with room for a bump. On the racks, baby shades of blue and pink found their way into the palette of bright pastels, but October can also customize colors when her stockists place orders.
Since occasion wear has proven the strongest attraction to the brand, October said she no longer feels compelled to experiment with broader wardrobe ideas just to see if anything else sticks. Yet a set comprising a halter top and fluid pants in a pretty tonal jacquard of anemones, or else a bias-cut sheath in mocha outlined with black lace, highlighted how she arrives at fresh designs beyond her perennially popular Waterlily dress with its softened bustier shape.
Of the wedding capsule, one dress in particular stood out for its delicate eyelets and scalloped edges that channeled a summery feeling of lingerie and gardens. Whatever the occasion, the point, reaffirmed October, is to “feel like a Hollywood star and embrace your femininity—owning it and enjoying it.”
