11 February 2025 |
There’s a distinct form of grace cultivated by Rachel Scott’s Diotima. It’s the type born from inspirations that are really digested, really felt, and in turn, appear in clothes that are a ballad of Scott’s deep love and appreciation for her subject matter. AW25 embraced this the same way Diotima always has. “I am researching images of the Black women that came before us and paved the way: the auntie, the trans mothers, the grandma, the matriarch,” the designer wrote on her Instagram story in preparation for the collection. She later titled the collection Matriarch, producing a body of work that aims to redefine the portrayal of Black women beyond the one-dimensional narrative they are often confined to.
The fabrics and textures are delicate, acting as a key constructor of Scott’s carefully created vision of the Diotima woman. She starts in the comfort of her own bedroom, in lingerie-inspired garments like a glass jersey chemise top and silk georgette bloomers. Cutting a sensual, romantic figure in this private space, the garments that communicate her public persona are more formal yet retain the lightly daring tone of the underwear-inspired, sexier pieces. Soft-boiled wool bomber jackets sport looped fridge collars whilst oversized tuxedo jackets maintain distinct femininity by being cinched at the waist. The woman, inspired by all the portraits collected by Scott in her research, finds beauty in being multi-dimensional, unable to be boxed in, complex in her individuality and sensuality. It was another welcome outing for the undeniable, contemporary elegance of Diotima.
Photography courtesy of Diotima.
