LG Fashion Week started for me on Friday night as I was invited to preview the spring/summer 2010 capsule collection by Jessica Jensen.

Originally a handbag designer, this is Jensen’s first foray into womenswear focusing on the creation of day dresses accompanied by her well-known and sought after bags.

Jensen derived her inspiration for this collection from her time spent on the New Jersey coastline with her husband. Using nature as her theme and focus, the dresses and handbags were developed from her experience on a, “coastline when the storms begin to settle; the sound of the ocean; the calm and stillness of the surroundings; (and) the knowledge that brighter days are ahead.”

The Thrush Holmes Empire on Queen Street West served as a complimentary setting to show Jensen’s first womenswear collection. Upon entering the space, the lines between art and fashion blended and merged. Dresses and handbags acted as standalone sculptures of art alongside photographs by Joshua Jensen-Nagle. This complimented and strengthened Jensen’s coastline inspired collection, yet at the same time I nearly didn’t touch the products on display because they were so artfully presented and placed.

The dresses were made of cotton sateen and its silhouettes were designed with simplicity in mind, straight and loose with an unrestricted feel. Jensen allowed for the dresses to be modified by the wearer to become more form fitting at the waist by using an optional kid skin belt. The colours chosen (black, plum, green and grey) expressed her earthy inspiration for these dresses.

The Italian leather handbags were expertly designed and all individually hand sewn varying in a mixture of shapes and styles. Clutches, satchels and totes in basket and panel weaves were presented in a wider palette choice of colours all intricately designed and well paired with each dress.  

Overall, this collection was controlled, focused and well thought out. Jensen is very conscious of presenting her first womenswear collection with a set vision in mind, maintaining it from start to finish. This new venture into women’s clothing has good potential for growth, yet Jensen would do better to experiment more with cloth and increase the number of garments in future collections incorporating more variety of pieces such as blouses, pants or skirts.

Quote from Jessica Jensen's spring/summer 2010 collection notes.