How does a portrait photographer create an intensely personal series without setting foot in front of the camera? Meredith Andrews uses models as surrogates in 'Island Obscura', a new show that opened at the Masterworks Museum of Bermuda Art at the end of September.

In something of a departure from her usual style of portraiture which often features subjects posed formally while looking directly at the camera, this new series sees the models, who are stand-ins for Andrews herself, striking pensive or playful poses with their identities hidden or obscured. Andrews views the series as an expression of her Bermudian experience. The locations were carefully chosen for their importance to Andrews personally, and she has given prominence to the surroundings: lush green vegetation, as abundant but often not given as much due as the blue waters that surround the island, gets a starring role while the models are either supporting characters or literally form part of the backdrop. This desire to blend in and go unnoticed is the common and recurring theme, and the models are often overlaid with images of plants or are photographed holding mirrors which are used to reflect the surrounding environment back to the observer and to create a form of camouflage. Adding to the natural feel, the pieces were printed on birch wood and its swirling grain added texture and depth to the images. 

Image  |   @saya.s.a.

We like the simplicity of the monochromatic versions of these premium collection bottles from Thermos. Available in Japan.

This dressing table by Zoë Mowat Design for EQ3's Assembly collection takes its inspiration from the Art Deco movement and is an exploration of geometric composition. A narrow floating glass shelf offers a surface to display lotions, perfumes or jewellery, while a large drawer keeps the less glamorous items tucked away. A sector-shaped mirror adds a welcome curved line and pops of colour highlight the various elements. The table is made of MDF with a glass frame on metal legs.

Marcus Tondo / Indigital.tv

Always one of the last shows and still one of our favourites, at Moncler Gamme Rouge creative director Giambattista Valli looked to the traditional French Gendarmerie uniform as inspiration for a strongly patriotic collection as models navigated piles of sand and rocks perhaps intended to evoke the Sahara.

Valli's tribute was as unsubtle as they come: the palette was restricted to the national colours and one jacket mimicked the Tricolour almost literally. Outfits featured embroidered bees, a Napoleonic symbol, and elements of historic ceremonial dress were recurring. Several models wore the kepi, a cap with a flat circular top and visor more commonly sported by the military and capes were deemed to be appropriate outerwear. A print of architectural plans of 18th century Parisian buildings was also used to good effect. Given all of the negative events that have happened in that country recently, the need to create some national pride was understandable, timely and a good way to close the week.

Monica Feudi / Indigital.tv

Like Thom Browne, Miu Miu featured bathing ladies, but while Browne's muse lounged poolside, here Miuccia Prada looked to the sea for her inspiration. Her colours and patterns were unequivocally mid-century modern in their look and feel and the flower prints and abstract art elicited a certain proper 1950s glamour. Hats were bathing caps adorned with flowers and these proved to be the perfect accompaniment to modest coat dresses and swimwear. Almost every look was belted or had some feature to draw the eye to the midsection. Accessories, such as the oversized, geometric sunglasses, were on point. The bags were standouts as were the shoes. Ranging from platforms to slides, several of the thick-soled sandals were made of a translucent material and the stacked platform made it appear as though the models were walking on waves. Seaside motifs could be found throughout the collection.

Mira Mikati

It's been an irregular month of shows and Paris (which closes today) was the perfect example. There have been several high-profile events including Chanel and Alexander McQueen, but not many of the collections as a whole grabbed our attention. So, to bid farewell to the city, we thought we'd start by featuring this collection from Mira Mikati which saw the tropics reinterpreted in a fun and lighthearted way. We loved the cut-out treatment of the toucans on skirts and trousers and, of course, the star pattern. The clothes were playful but not juvenile and featured embroidered chimpanzees and inspirational quotes. The result was an easy, comfortable and relaxed but still stylish collection.

Filippo Fior

Rahul Mishra chose the rainforest (as seen through the eyes of painter Henri Rousseau) as his inspiration. The exotic space was translated as red, black and blue gingham check, frills and layers. Shoulders took the spotlight and we loved the delicate embellishments and embroidery on bomber jackets, blouses and tops that highlighted this area. Sheer shirts were half-shrugged off shoulders and cut-outs were accented by frills and pleats. A pretty and whimsical collection.

Umberto Fratini / Indigital.tv

Time to compare and contrast.

With the departure of Maria Grazia Chiuri to Dior, this collection marked the first solo offering of her former co-creator Pierpaolo Piccioli at Valentino. Piccioli took his inspiration directly from iconic designer Zandra Rhodes, however as with Dior, we saw etherial and heavily embroidered dresses and gowns. His colours and materials felt richer and included pleated velvet and lace in pinks and reds, black and chartreuse. Piccolo accessorised his clothes with miniature bags and bold earrings in the form of daggers.

Yannis Vlamos/Indigital.tv

We're going to post our reviews of Dior and Valentino back-to-back so you can draw your own conclusions regarding the similarity  (or not) of the aesthetic of the two Houses.

Maria Grazia Chiuri put on her first show for the House of Dior since leaving Valentino, and the sport of fencing was an obvious, if unusual, reference. The first few looks featured breastplate designs and jackets that were immediately recognisable as having been derived from the uniform of the sport. This was a the muted collection and no bright colours were shown. Unlined, sheer skirts layered over modesty shorts and obvious corsetry and boning were two staples used throughout. The light and airy skirts were often paired with more substantial sweaters and knitwear as a counterpoint.

Conspicuous branding appears to be making a comeback in Paris with several designers prominently displaying their name on clothes. At Dior, this was done by the means of athletic tape that was used to border straps, hems and even shoes and served as a direct reference back to the sport of fencing which Grazia Chiuri chose as a starting point. Our favourite looks included the tarot-card-inspired evening gowns with their tulle skirts. These dresses were covered in symbols of the dark arts and witchcraft, astrological signs and four-leaf clovers. In this time of change for the House of Dior, perhaps Grazia Chiuri was looking to the heavens for guidance.

Yannis Vlamos/Indigital.tv

For Rochas, Alessandro Dell’Acqua relied on 1940s silhouettes and airy, voluminous skirts to set the mood for Spring. In colours that were inspired by artist Erwin Blumenfeld, he toyed with a form of colour-blocking mixing marigold, periwinkle, blush pink and lilac. Pleated gowns were paired with crew-necked sweaters and everything was accessorised with elbow-length gloves in contrasting hues.