Marina Afonina was a stylist before she started her brand, Albus Lumen, and that editor’s eye has never left her. For Resort 2019, she was inspired by Pablo Picasso’s ceramics and the timeless style of his daughter Paloma. The designer sent out summertime essentials with a carefree spirit in a color palette of dusty blues, vermilions, and chocolate browns.
The long, lean silhouette might lead guests to read Albus Lumen’s collection as appealing to a customer of Céline or The Row, and while that woman might drift toward Afonina’s creations, her clients also have a sunnier spirit. You could picture the Jacquemus fan reaching for a deep emerald slip dress with a low-slung bit of draping around the hips or a waft-y brown minidress with knife-pleat ruching. A long pale blue knit maxi dress had global appeal; it’s the sort of thing you could see women from Tbilisi to Los Angeles showing off on their Instagram feeds with one of Albus Lumen’s slouchy miniature bags. The accessories, from leather bucket hats to head scarves, helped ground the collection in an arty world, but there was plenty for a pragmatist, too, like soft-cut blazers or a loose, belted dress.
