Greta Constantine (Q4194)
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Line of women's wear
| Language | Label | Description | Also known as |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | Greta Constantine |
Line of women's wear |
Statements
Armormight not be the first word one would use to describe Greta Constantine’s colorful spring collection—but it’s what designer Kirk Pickersgill had in mind when creating his new offering of upbeat formalwear. “When you think of the wordarmor, you think of clothes that are there to protect you,” he says. “But when women go out, the clothing they put on is also the number one thing they want to be seen in. It gives you that air of confidence.”His sculptural gowns are certainly created with the intention of being noticed. Focusing on his luxe materials—silks, satins, bardos—Pickersgill drew inspiration from glamorous figures like Diana Vreeland and Roxie Roker for his spring shapes, creating dresses meant to make an entrance at a party. (Many of his clientele buy his pieces for important galas.) “They were amazing style icons,” Pickersgill said of his seasonal muses. “[Roxie] used to wear clothes that had volume—not in a robust way but in the amount of fabric used.”The designer aimed to create pieces that commanded space without quiteliterallybeing exaggerated in proportion. Take his purple strapless gown, ruched at the knees to give it an hourglass shape, or his black off-the-shoulder dress with a sculptural wavy neckline. These pieces had just the right amount of drama, though elsewhere Pickersgill couldn’t help himself from getting carried away—his tiered ruffle minidress in salmon pink was a frock worthy of a modern-day Marie Antoinette.His bright, zingy colors worked best on more refined silhouettes, like the streamlined long-sleeve jumpsuit in lemon yellow. The designer also toyed with texture, adding three-dimensional flower petals to jersey maxidresses, either on the neckline or as trim. Florals? For spring? Maybe not groundbreaking, but they were perfectly pretty nonetheless.
3 October 2024
Just a few days before Greta Constantine designer Kirk Pickersgill debuted his new resort collection, the designer attended a gala for the National Ballet of Canada in Toronto—and was struck by just how many women he spotted in his evening gowns. “It was a huge compliment,” he said. The fact that his designs were thriving in such a formal environment was no coincidence, of course: For resort, Pickersill continued the label’s focus on opulent evening attire. “I just watchedParis Is Burning, and I wanted the clothes to be regal and ultra feminine,” he said of the new line. “I wanted the clothes to scream.”Pickersgill’s new ball gowns were certainly gala-worthy. The designs ranged from simple and elegant to bold and maximal: they were most successful when restraint was exercised. His LBDs this season were black cinched-waist gowns with floral appliqués and bows at the shoulder. A clean, high-neck satin-pink gown had a flowing bow along the back—talk about a dress that makes an exit. Pickersgill was inspired by his mother for such refined looks. “She’s a very stylish woman, but she’s not somebody that’s over the top,” he said.The more extroverted silhouettes, meanwhile, put emphasis on material accents like beadwork and ruffles—two Greta Constantine signatures. A black halter-style gown had golden floral beadwork along it, and was totally sheer (it was paired with a black slip underneath). A magenta, caftan-like dress in silk-faille had giant ruffling along the hemline, and was paired with matching trousers. It might seem excessive, but Pickersgill said his customers always dress to be noticed. “I started with a small ruffle, and then two-inch ruffles turned into 15-inch ruffles,” says Pickersgill. “For me, it’s like, ‘Go big or go home.’”
18 June 2024
For fall, Greta Constantine designer Kirk Pickersgill shot his new designs at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto—and it was a fitting location for his new statement assortment of evening gowns, which double as their own pieces of art. “I’ve been going to the museum since I was in grade two,” he said. “When you go there, it’s a reason to be out—and to look great. That led into the collection itself.”Pickersgill’s evening attire is certainly meant to get you noticed. “I’m obsessed with when a woman enters a room; I always pinpoint the woman that looks the best in the room,” he said. “I have the same concept when it comes to designing; I want her to walk into a room and feel great.” This season the designer experimented with bold finishings that put emphasis on textures and colors—but they were all grounded in sleek black foundations. “Black is never going anywhere, but I added accent colors and fabrics to make it look more opulent and treasured,” he said.There was, of course, tons of silk faille to be had, which felt like a subtle nod to the glamorous clothes found in Ryan Murphy’s recent series,Capote vs. The Swans. A bright magenta gown came with a matching ruffled shoulder cap, which is removable. “Our client has been requesting capes,” said Pickersgill. “They want something to cover themselves over the shoulders, for weddings or church.” A gold sequin column gown also had black ruffles wrapped around it, like a fabulous snake. For Pickersgill, ruffles are considered neutral. “Ruffles are my thing—I just adore a good ruffle,” he said.The designer also attempted to innovate on expected evening textiles. He developed a new gold sequin that resembles chain mail—“it’s a flat sequin,” he said. It felt particularly fresh on the streamlined tee and trouser pairing. Pickersgill also created a sleeveless hybrid gown, which had a black lace appliqué over sequins. You can always count on the brand to serve up glamour—even if it’s a little too much. “It’s a continuation of a conversation that I never want to end,” said Pickersgill.
6 March 2024
Since it was founded in 2006, Greta Constantine has risen fast as a go-to label for red carpet and gala dressing—something that has been innate to the Toronto-based brand since the get-go. For spring, designer Kirk Pickersgill felt inspired to recapture some of that early-on fashion energy: He dove into his archives to inspire some of his new elegant designs. “This season, I thought, Let me just do me, said Pickersgill. “It was all about identifying myself as a designer, and going back into our archives, pulling pieces that we’ve done from the beginning, and incorporating them for what can be the future.”Of course, there was a new mood to channel into his signature formalwear. Pickersgill admits he has been watching a lot of femme fatale films recently, and was drawn to the dark, glamorous clothes that film villains such as May Day (Grace Jones) and Lynn Bracken (Kim Basinger) wear on-screen. “These evil people are always in black,” said Pickersgill, “and I thought, 'Why not add some beauty and color to it?’” The end result was an eclectic mix of party dresses that commanded attention.Pickersgill’s magenta silk-faille cape, paired with a strapless red column gown, was wholly worthy of a Bond girl (or villain). Ditto his sheer, black polka-dotted tulle gown, which was styled over a gold sequin dress. But it wouldn’t be a true Greta Constantine collection without the label’s signature bright colors and voluminous silhouettes. The abstract-print bubble dresses and floor-length gowns—in a melange of bright shades like blue, orange, and pink—were constructed from three different fabrics, from lamé to silk wool. The slinky black gown with a ruffled chartreuse bodice offered just the right amount of head-turning pop. “You want to be noticed when you’re out, from a distance,” said Pickersgill.
21 September 2023
Kirk Pickersgill, creative director of Greta Constantine, studied the not-too-distant Black American past for his resort collection. The inclination struck him during Black History Month. “I wanted to do a deep dive not just into Black people in fashion, but people who’ve createdsomethingin the industry,” Pickersgill said.His research brought him to businesswoman Eunice Walker Johnson, co-creator of the influential Black-centric publications Ebony and Jet in the 1940s and ’50s. Later, she capitalized on the success of her family’s household-name status with the Ebony Fashion Fair, a nationwide traveling show that brought upscale and luxury fashion directly to Black consumers. It was a shining example of the inspiring resourcefulness, ingenuity, and self-determination Black entrepreneurs often showed when faced with fanged exclusion and segregation.“Black people weren’t allowed into fashion shows at the time,” Pickersgill said, sharing tidbits gleaned from his research. “Mrs. Walker was one of the few Black people allowed to see the shows. But then, she wasn’t allowed to borrow the clothes. So she said, ‘You know what? I’m just gonna buy them and show them myself.’” Responding to challenges with positivity is something Pickersgill can probably connect with—he’s built a global fashion brand from Toronto, which, he hints, has not always been easy.The regality, class, and power embodied by Mrs. Walker served as the basis for Greta Constantine’s resort 2023 woman. “I imagine her vacationing in St. Tropez,” Pickersgill said, as a model showed off a little black dress decorated with dramatic, asymmetrical white ruffles. Inspired by the roses that populate his native Jamaica, the collection’s many ruffles were crafted in teals, creams, “antique pinks,” and—slightly surprising from a designer so in love with color—a deep black. Pickersgill played around with shapes and silhouettes, which often featured big sleeves, big pants or, sometimes, both. “I used to be afraid of volume, but not anymore,” he said. “I love shooting it, I love the way it looks and feels.”The standout pieces include small bits of metal sewn onto delicate tulle. From a distance the embroideries resembled chipped-and-cracked paint. Up close, however, the bits of metal reveal themselves to be cut in the shape of daisies. It’s a fabulous play of the eye, a mix of hard and soft.
After over 15 years in business, Pickersgill knows what works best for his brand—hence the recurring appearance of dresses crafted in practical and comfortable stretch microfiber. “That’s our bread and butter,” the designer said. But there are also gentle, considered steps into new directions. One highlight: Greta Constantine’s first-ever prints, which star colorful flowers.
14 June 2023
Greta Constantine has built up an impressive international customer base and celebrity following from its hub in Toronto. Last year, the Canadian label was worn by everyone from Julia Roberts to Angela Bassett to Abbott Elementary’s Sheryl Lee Ralph. And more knockout brand-in-lights moments for the label are almost definitely coming. Kirk Pickersgill, who now solely oversees Greta, after the recent departure of co-founder Stephen Wong, says he crafted the brand’s fall 2023 collection with “red carpet and special occasion dressing” top of mind.“I’m calling this collection All About Eve-ning,” Pickersgill joked. “Because it’s more about evening wear. It’s also about moving forward and understanding the direction the company is going in.”To tap into this spirit, Pickersgill discovered major inspiration through a classicVanity Fairphotoshoot creative directed by the late André Leon Talley. The 1996 spread, titled “Scarlett in the Hood,” reimagined the world ofGone with the Windwith Black people front and center, Naomi Campbell taking on Scarlett O’Hara’s iconic role. Pickersgill used the photoshoot as a powerful guide. He tapped into Talley’s vision of Black nobility through cinched cocktail dresses paired with semi-sheer capes, a kelly green gown with a dramatic train, and an oversized white faux fur coat. These are clothes made for a grand arrival. Pickersgill describes this season’s approach as “taking ideas from the past and making them modern.” He tried his best to avoid a “costume” interpretation of vintage glamour by pairing a voluminous skirt with, say, a tee shirt.There are tried-and-true Greta Constantine staples in this collection, too. For example: pieces crafted in the innovative “neoprene-esque” fabric Pickersgill has utilized in past seasons. Rich color is another recurring throughline. This time Pickersgill used kelly green, azealia, and peacock blue—colors one might find on the set of an Old Hollywood film (since they showed up well in black-and-white). New techniques and fabrics were employed as well, of course. Most notably, gowns constructed out of silk faille. “It’s an old fabric they used to use back in the day, in the court,” Pickersgill said. “It’s like a paper-type fabric that gives you a lot of volume without making the garment too heavy.” All in all, the new collection represents a regal and confident step forward for Greta Constantine.
25 January 2023
“You can wash this gown in the washing machine,” designer Kirk Pickersgill said, pointing to an extravagant, Crayola-hued dress constructed out of a “neoprene-jersey double knit.” Behind Pickersgill, who was speaking on a Zoom call from Toronto, sat a garment rack full of colorful, red carpet–ready clothes that are easy to picture on leading ladies like Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer. This is the Greta Constantine resort 2023 aesthetic: buoyancy mixed with power.“This season it’s all about dreams and rebirth,” said Pickersgill. But more on that machine-wash-ready gown. Neoprene, which the designer also described as sweat wicking, is a fabric that the Toronto-based brand—which is led by Pickersgill and Stephen Wong—has employed for its most spectacular pieces this season. “It’s an activewear fabric. It’s made for swimsuits and leggings and all that,” Pickersgill said of the unexpected choice. “But we’ve adapted it for gowns and dresses.” Adapting the unexpected to glamorous effect is a key focus of the brand.And it has certainly done it well. The label leaned into its look-at-me aesthetic here, crafting clothes that feel imbued with joy. The colors, partly inspired by Pickersgill’s Jamaican heritage, match up to the increasingly vibrant landscape of today’s fashion. There are coral reef greens and rich blues and pinks the color of beach pebbles. “Jamaica really brings the spice and the color to Greta, and then Canada cools me down a little bit,” Pickersgill said, laughing. There are also the signature voluminous shapes and high-level details one expects from the brand at this point.And while the designs of the resort collection are certainly intended for all, Pickersgill said he and Wong are inspired by strong, powerful Black women. Think Angela Bassett, Ava DuVernay, and Oprah Winfrey.The diverse perspective of Greta Constantine even shows up in practical concerns. “A lot of fabric has to have some kind of stretch to it when you’re dealing with a body and body types,” Pickersgill explains. “We always try to find something with some kind of stretch so you’re not neglecting a certain body shape.” Still, he resists being boxed in to only designing for one specific type of person or customer. As he put it, “I’d love to be the poster child for someone who only represents Black people and Black culture, but there are so many other cultures out there. There’s so much diversity in numbers.”
19 September 2022
No comic book anti-heroine has the same cultural cache as Catwoman. Selena Kyle, Batman’s on-again, off-again antagonist, has been a prominent figure in superhero media since being introduced in 1940. Nine actresses have inhabited the role onscreen, but whether it’s Eartha Kitt or Zoë Kravitz, the character’s slinky wardrobe is a constant. Kyle’s glossy black catsuit served as a starting point for Greta Constantine designers Kirk Pickersgill and Stephen Wong. They found themselves captivated by femme fatales as they began work on their latest collection. The Greta girl is up to no good this season, but she’s having a helluva time.In high shine PVC, a black turtleneck top and skintight pants served as the building block for multiple looks. The styling choice added a layer of sexiness to the brand’s frothy ruffles but will allow the wearer to choose whether or not they wanted to tap into their inner-Catwoman. Pieces like a mint-green blouse detailed with sculptural frills along its sleeves or a mermaid-tail ball gown tipped with hot pink could be worn conservatively. The real fun though came when audaciousness was the only option. Interestingly, this was most evident in the duo’s outerwear, which played with proportion via puffer silhouettes in metallic fabrications blinding enough to be seen from space. “We wanted to do something new with volume and proportion, which have always been important to us,” shared Pickersgill. “Using the puffers felt unexpected, a break from the typical. Plus, I love the way they look layered over a dress.”Most PVC dresses require tenacity. As attention-grabbing as they are, getting into and out of the form-fitting, rigid material takes time, effort, and a team of helpers, as Kim Kardashian has regularly demonstrated on Instagram. Thankfully, Pickersgill and Wong have no patience for fussy fashion. Each of the polished pieces within the collection comes complete with a failsafe touch. The back of that bright red PVC cocktail look with the candy wrapper bow is made from a different and considerably more malleable material. “No one has time to be uncomfortable,” says Pickersgill. “You have to be able to move and enjoy yourself, even when you’re wearing a dress that’s skintight.”Prioritizing comfort has been a key part of what’s made Greta Constantine’s eveningwear successful with multiple demographics, particularly amongst celebrities. During awards season, the brand’s cross-generational reach was especially evident.
After dressing 31-year-oldWest Side Storystar Ariana DeBose, they outfitted 90-year-old acting legend Rita Moreno for the Producers Guild of America Awards. During her big night out, Moreno skipped the PVC, but her confident stride into the event captured the collection’s spirit.
4 April 2022
Fashion’s biggest night and one of the most-watched events in existence, the Met Gala has a mystique all its own. The theme of this year’s corresponding exhibition centers on America and its fashion lexicon. Still, all the way up in Toronto, the party was a subject of fascination for Greta Constantine designers Kirk Pickersgill and Stephen Wong as they crafted their version of gala gear.“I love seeing those behind-the-scenes photos of the atmosphere and the candid snapshots that happen in the hallways or outside the bathroom,” shared Pickersgill via Zoom. “This time, our girl is there at the Met, and she’s doing her own thing, having fun while enjoying life.”That buoyant spirit comes through in the clothing. Pickersgill and Wong enjoy bold color and voluminous shapes, “look at me” fashion laden with ruffled embellishments or tiers of tulle. Each of those elements is present here, but they turned up the intensity to 11. In the market for a frilly dress? How about one with a decorative ruff that stretches down the spine in a wave of silk. Like tulle? Have it in neon with a hint of iridescence or gathered into a frothy pink puffball that would put Carrie Bradshaw’s tutus to shame. For Pickersgill, the exuberant details reflect the mood they were trying to convey. “We wanted to play with proportion but have a bit of transparency because it’s spring,” he said. “With the bright tulles, we’re able to have volume while accentuating the lightness and playfulness; it shouldn’t be so serious”Frivolity and joy as responses to troubled times are nothing new, but the choice allows the brand to fill a void in the retail space while tightening its grip on the celebrity market. For the moment, vibrant, unapologetically pretty fashions are what the Greta girl wants. “We listened to our clients and our customers,” says Pickersgill. “Even when the world stopped, we didn’t stop making fashion.”
11 November 2021
As anyone who has ever visited can tell you, Jamaica is more than a place; it’s a state of mind. Even those who have only experienced its irie ethos through postcards, movies, or social media have an understanding of the positivity and liveliness associated with the nation. Greta Constantine’s Kirk Pickersgill and Stephen Wong may be based in Toronto, but both designers have roots on the island. Their memories of home proved especially meaningful during Canada’s lockdowns. Trapped indoors with a collection to create, they didn’t focus on the gloom. Instead, they deep-dived into their culture.“Because we can’t travel to Jamaica right now, this is our sweet escape,” shared Pickersgill. “When you look at the pictures, you see that part of the narrative is that clothing helps you to find that escape; it lets you close your eyes and go somewhere else momentarily. Our client doesn’t need to be on vacation; they just need to be allowed to dress up.”Clothing as a respite from reality has been a recurring theme during resort, but Pickersgill and Wong offered a distinct spin on the concept. It’s easy to envision oneself beachside in Ocho Rios wearing one of their pieces, but they’d spice up life in Des Moines or Detroit too. The charm of their full skirts and jewel tones is easy to appreciate, especially when the silhouettes are pared down. In previous seasons the duo’s love of frills and exaggerated proportions have made their eveningwear a love it or hate it proposition; either you’re into a great oversized ruffle, or you aren’t. This go-round, things are cleaner, sleeker, and at times slightly sporty. The pink stripe on their color-blocked ball-skirt borders on Adidas-esque, while the leggings peeking out from beneath a white train could take you straight to pilates—if you’re the sort who totes a Birkin to the gym.Though the overarching mood was sunny, several pieces hinted at darker pleasures. Add on a pair of fishnets and that jet black tiered eyelet dress with bared shoulders could easily go goth. Likewise, emerald ruffles that coiled up a column gown like creeping vines had a witchy allure. The shifts in tone were deliberate. “We’re keeping it fun but trying to develop because Greta is 15 now,” says Pickersgill. “She’s an entity in and of herself. We’ve realized that it takes more than two people to make it happen, it’s a community effort, and part of [our] branding is to develop as a house and think about the future the way we see ourselves developing.
”So far, that development is focused on optimism and expansion. The pieces that didn’t lean moodier doubled down on the bright colors and tactile fabrications that have made Greta Constantine a go-to for celebrities. When Taraji P. Henson is set to host BET Awards, or Priyanka Chopra reads out the Oscar nominations, their stylists give Pickersgill and Wong a call, and they whip up a look imbued with irie cheer. Moody those pieces aren’t, but not everything needs to be.
3 August 2021
This year’s lack of red-carpet events hasn’t stopped the Greta Constantine woman from showing up in all the right places. Last week, as she announced the Academy Award nominees, Priyanka Chopra donned a tiered cocktail frock by designers Kirk Pickersgill and Stephen Wong in a shade of sapphire blue that contrasted nicely with her husband Nick Jonas’s gold tux. Likewise, Viola Davis—one of the names atop Chopra’s list of Oscar nominees—turned heads at the Critics Choice Awards in a turquoise gown with strategically placed ruffles from the duo’s spring collection.The most poignant of these appearances may have been on youth poet Amanda Gorman, who opted for canary yellow Greta Constantine for her highly publicizedTimemagazine cover. It’s rare for any fashion label to be featured prominently on the front page of a publication focused on hard news, not clothes, but the fact that the placement came as a surprise was the cherry on top. “Our press officer told us that they had used it for the magazine but didn’t say what it was for, so we just thought it was an editorial,” shared Pickersgill via Zoom. “I didn’t believe it until we had a tangible copy, [but] once we saw that it had made the cover, it felt historic. It was such a proud moment for the brand.”Timely too. February marked Greta Constantine’s 15th anniversary, and to celebrate, Pickersgill and Wong wanted to honor all the people who’ve helped the brand along its journey. “Our goals have happened, and our dream has happened—now it’s just time to move forward and build the brand even further,” said Pickersgill. History was the collection’s focus. The green, black, and gold color scheme of several looks nodded to Pickersgill and Wong’s Jamaican heritage. Vintage hits, like asymmetrical gowns that revealed a flash of leg, were remixed in brilliant shades of gold or paired with metallic boots to amplify their bling factor.You don’t have to be campaigning for an Oscar to wear Pickersgill and Wong’s creations, but they placed the awards-season fare front and center, doubling down on the flowing trains and structured flounces of fabric that have become signatures of the brand. Though they’re committed to avoiding loungewear, lightweight separates with soft textures served as their version of a rainy-day look. Of course, given their extroverted clientele, their ball gowns might prove more versatile than anyone expects.
“I was at a friend’s for dinner, and it was just the two of us, but she was in this magnificent ball gown,” says Pickersgill. “She was like, ‘I have all these clothes, why not wear them?’ I thought that was such a great idea, and I’ve seen a lot of people begin to embrace that.” Case in point: Just last week Cynthia Erivo was spotted lounging around at home in a button-down blouse and one of Greta Constantine’s golden ball skirts.
22 March 2021
“The show must go on” has become a mantra for Greta Constantine designers Kirk Pickersgill and Stephen Wong. Since the COVID-19 crisis began, the pair have thrown themselves into their work, tweaking their designs to suit customers’ needs and doubling down on a cheery aesthetic. “We’re just doing our job,” shared Pickersgill via Zoom. “Developing, creating, and understanding what our path is. This isn’t a new normal—it’s just normal.” The Greta Constantine version of the habitual is noticeably dressier than what many of their peers are offering at present. Though they briefly considered a foray into casual, Pickersgill and Wong decided such a shift would feel inauthentic. “It just isn’t a part of our brand DNA,” says Pickersgill. “Our woman is looking for fun, color, and happiness.”The duo focused their spring output on bright colors, playful silhouettes, and an in-depth exploration of ruffles to cater to those needs. Of the 17 looks in their latest collection, only one lacks the embellishment—though the billowing acid green blouse and trouser combination was equally ostentatious. For minimalists, such an abundance of detail might feel froufrou, but fans of Pickersgill and Wong’s will find it familiar. The number of fabrications may have been pared down to just two, and neons have replaced resort’s icy pastels, but there’s a fanciful spirit that unites the bulk of the brand’s output. Connecting that idea with the desire for comfort espoused by consumers took work. “We did our research. We went to department stores, and they were telling us that everyone wants comfort, loungewear, or sweats,” says Pickersgill. “The reality is you have that in your closet already; those clothes don’t necessarily make you want to shop. So we decided to do what we do best and provide our version of comfort.”Their take on easy dressing was less about coziness and more about cheer. It would be hard to feel dour in the splashy mix of magenta and lavender the pair used on cigarette pants and floor-length shirtdresses. Were the red carpet in full swing, you could expect to see these pieces on women like Angela Bassett or Ava DuVernay, but at present, few events warrant dressing up. Still, for Pickersgill, the emotion matters more than the occasion. “I made a point about having the model smile in our look book because that’s what we need to see right now,” he says. “When she’s smiling, you’re smiling, and that’s what we’re pushing.”
21 October 2020
The changes brought about by the COVID-19 crisis have been felt throughout the fashion industry, but independent brands have been hit especially hard. For Greta Constantine’s Stephen Wong and Kirk Pickersgill, 2020 has been a trial by fire that prompted the pair to reevaluate their business model and creative output. Fall 2020’s exploration of luxe fabrications and jewel tones delivered the red carpet oomph they’ve become known for, but that level of opulence no longer feels relevant. With the vast majority of the population still clinging to their yoga pants, even the bare minimum of shirts that button and pants that aren’t stretchy seems luxurious. Wong and Pickersgill wanted to acknowledge that reality without completely abandoning glamour.Given the aggressively casual state of things, Wong and Pickersgill’s resort collection focused on their version of daywear. Neither espouses a love of loungewear (duh), so their take on the concept was all about LPD: little pastel dresses. The soft tones, baby doll silhouettes, and lightweight fabrics added up to a polished selection of looks and a joyful mood. Pieces like cap-sleeve A-line dresses with ruffle detailing or color-block maxi dresses were surprisingly versatile, hinting at the brand’s eveningwear expertise without feeling overwrought. Playful fabrics—a cotton eyelet that upon closer inspection contained a koi fish pattern—and plunging necklines kept the energy youthful and upbeat.The ultrashort silhouette favored by Pickersgill and Wong may be tricky to pull off—a seafoam green ruffled number was minuscule enough to be worn as a shirt, and the majority of the pieces were only slightly longer—but it kept with the overarching mood. The duo has chosen optimism and a vision of the future where dainty dresses and unabashed prettiness provide the antidote to gloom. Even the collection’s smallest item, a hand-stitched lavender face mask covered in fabric flowers, alluded to the importance of joy.
18 August 2020
How do you interpret flowers without florals? That was the question Greta Constantine’s Kirk Pickersgill and Stephen Wong sought to answer via their Spring 2020 collection. After a summer spent on a Jamaican orchid farm once owned by Pickersgill’s aunt, the pair knew they wanted to explore horticulture, but channeling the sensory experience of walking through acres of blossoms into a pattern seemed misguided. “We don’t do prints,” said Pickersgill at the Midtown penthouse where the collection was shown. “That isn’t our area of expertise, and it wouldn’t have felt authentic.”To avoid going literal Pickersgill and Wong explored the texture and colors of inflorescence. Instead of petals they used frills and bright swaths of tulle; gold lamé echoed the look of light hitting a freshly cut stem. “When you see a flower in the sun, you always get a bit of that shine bouncing off of it,” explained Pickersgill, who also used sequins and metallic fabrics to mimic the effect. “Then, when it rains, you get the sparkle of the water.”The strongest pieces adhered to the botanical theme; minidresses with full skirts and asymmetrical necklines were appropriately pretty, while tiered tulle dresses were summery and sweet. Chest-baring gold blouses with oversize sleeves and lamé jumpsuits added glitz but felt detached from the rest of the collection. The segue into Studio 54 territory connected with the brand’s previous output and a clientele in search of red carpet–ready looks, but distracted from the newer offerings. Still, the attention paid to details—the ruffled skirts took 24 hours to craft by hand, while the use of sporty microfiber fabrications allowed for wrinkle-free culottes and skirts—made for an appealing collection.
4 September 2019
Kirk Pickersgill and Stephen Wong may be based in Toronto, but their hearts are in Jamaica. Originally from the island nation, they occasionally fuse a little of its carefree spirit into their Greta Constantine collections, and Resort 2020 proved the right time for a blithe take on luxury. “You can’t help but feel joyous when you look at these colors,” Wong said at the Soho penthouse where they staged a presentation/cocktail hour. “It just puts you in a good mood.” Indeed, the cheerful palette had an uplifting effect: It’s hard to dislike wide-leg trousers in highlighter green or the bombast of head-to-toe blue sequins.Pickersgill and Wong offered a select number of neutrals, but bold color was the collection’s focus. Self-described “fabric nerds,” they had fun working in a variety of textures. Transparent organdy served to add sexiness to otherwise covered-up gowns with puffed sleeves and Victorian necklines, and silk gazar featured prominently, with little crimson cocktail dresses and magenta culottes benefiting from the sumptuous material’s heft. Ruffles have become a recurring element within the duo’s work, and here they accented bodices and hemlines, providing volume and adding visual interest to monochromatic looks.Those who love frills and vibrancy will find plenty to enjoy here; those who don’t will have to look elsewhere. Still, the idea of authentic Jamaican resortwear is appealing. Fashion’s ideals of island life are often culled from tourists instead of locals, and the gauzy long dresses that border on caftans feel authentic in a way that many sightseer collections do not. True, you don’t need a sequin jumpsuit to be the queen of Kingston nightlife, but it certainly can’t hurt.
6 June 2019
Dubai is known for its duality: a nightlife epicenter where religion plays a key role in everyday life. The UAE’s most populous city provided all the inspiration Greta Constantine designers Kirk Pickersgill and Stephen Wong needed for Fall. The duo, who visited the region for the first time in December, was struck by the elegant way in which both men and women approached dressing. With that in mind, the designers headed into Fall with renewed energy, ditching the ’70s influences of their previous collection in favor of modern eveningwear with a relaxed vibe. The majority of the pieces were easy and appealing options for a night out: A black satin jumpsuit with a loose cut will always look good, but it doesn’t require the diligence of, say, a skintight cocktail dress.Pickersgill and Wong also used Fall as an opportunity to delve into two of fashion’s current obsessions, sustainability and modest dressing. The first they tackled by digging into their personal cache for fabrics they’d loved in seasons past but hadn’t utilized to their fullest potential. “Some of these we’ve had in our archive for the past five or six years, so it made sense to find new ways to use them,” said Wong. In considering their footprint, they found smart ways to approach textiles that have become conventional. Bouclé, the mainstay of little black jackets everywhere, was presented as a multicolor puffer that could be layered over a matching skirt for maximum wintry glamour. “We didn’t want it to seem old or conventional,” said Pickersgill. “It’s a material everyone knows and loves, but by changing the shape, it felt different.”A focus on modesty led the designers to create dramatic looks that didn’t rely on skin reveals. Sequin-laden turtlenecks layered beneath long gowns added sparkle in lieu of jewelry, while crinkled metallic dresses allowed for extroversion while fully covered. The final statement—a colossus of a look made entirely from raffia—will require a special wearer, but she’s sure to be the center of attention upon attempting such a flight of fancy.
7 February 2019
The cusp of two decades is a special place, especially where dressing is concerned. With the hallmarks of one era slowly giving way to a fresh look, clothing can get experimental. In the early ’80s, as disco was breathing its last gasp and Studio 54–worthy glamour was starting to feel obsolete, fashion took on a new verve. Greta Constantine’s Kirk Pickersgill and Stephen Wong are too young to have experienced that period firsthand, but they saw it via the evolving wardrobes of their mothers. “We didn’t want to just do a Pinterest list of references,” said Pickersgill pre-presentation. “These are our memories of that time, [when] we used to dress girls in our minds, but now we get to play dress-up all the time!” Those memories informed the brand’s Spring output, which revisited many of the era’s key silhouettes and occasionally drifted into rose-tinted nostalgia.Shown at Halston’s Upper East Side townhouse, a venue steeped in history, the collection breezed through a range of influences, including the powder-puff silhouettes of Christian Lacroix, Yves Saint Laurent’s midi dresses, and of course Halston’s eveningwear. The success of an homage depends on your relationship with the source material, and for those steeped in early ’80s imagery, some of the pieces may have seemed too familiar. Pickersgill and Wong clearly love the time they referenced, but so do many other designers, and the proliferation of labels that have mined it can lead to déjà vu.Still, there’s a reason the ’80s have remained so popular, and when Pickersgill and Wong merged the right elements the result was beautiful. A puffed-sleeve minidress in a sporty microfiber struck the right chord, as did a jaguar-print maxi dress that hugged the body perfectly. The celebrity following the brand has earned over the last few years—Meghan Markle, Angela Bassett, and Yara Shahidi to name a few—would look right at home in one of the liquid-metal-tinged gowns, but you could just as easily see a twirling Pat Cleveland wearing them too.
8 September 2018