It’s been a year since the pandemic has become part of our everyday lives. There is a growing urge to break free from the isolation and replace the sweater with something more festive. Daalarna’s MIRROR collection offers a dreamy way out of the current situation: the dresses – made with noble materials and delicate handicraft – take us into a fantasy world where we can live our dreams freely and celebrate without boundaries again.
“I see us desperately looking for a way out of this current, seemingly hopeless situation. Sometimes we dance on the verge of madness while constantly reinterpreting ourselves, our desires, and our needs,” designer Anita Benes says about the inspiration of this special haute couture collection.” The current situation that was thought to be temporary a year ago has now become part of our everyday lives.
We may no longer believe that it will really end one day, and we can hug again the people who matter most to us.
The pandemic holds up a mirror to us to truly appreciate what we thought was given: the closeness of our loved ones. We have realized that online connection is not enough, and the real values lie in the moments we live together, be it festivals, family anniversaries or weddings. These are the events that stand out from our day-to-day routine, and later we think of them with nostalgia.
While waiting and longing for our festive moments and our old life, daydreaming can provide temporary peace of mind.
By flying through into an ideal world with the help of our inner mirror, we can survive the present period in an imagined alternative reality. I did the same while creating the MIRROR collection, for which we took romantic, peacetime campaign photos in one of the most memorable places of my childhood, the Esterházy Palace in Fertőd.
As a little girl, I often visited the palace (which is dubbed the Hungarian Versailles) and the surrounding forests because my grandparents lived nearby. In springtime, I picked violets on the road there with my mother and grandmother, and we played hide and seek in the garden. I remember those moments like a fairy tale, and I wanted to evoke that atmosphere with my new collection. “
Accordingly, Anita Benes has dreamed up a magnificent haute couture collection for romantic-minded yet modern brides who are not afraid of bolder, more rebellious solutions either.
In the MIRROR collection, a classic princess style is combined with the contemporary, sophisticated, delicately feminine design typical of Daalarna.
The spectacular design solutions (large volumes, detachable trains and easily convertible, two in one style dresses) are just one element of this blast from the past.
The source materials are dominated by noble draperies and characteristic, aristocratic colours (such as gold or shades of pink, green and purple), while the use of materials is inspired by the splendour and over-decoration of the Baroque-Rococo palace.
The defining motifs of the lace embroideries are various tendrils, leaves, garlands and 3D solutions, which were inspired by the special wall decorations of the Esterházy Palace. This special world of motifs inspired the Limoges porcelain headpieces that Adrien Nagy, jewelry designer of Rienne Bride, dreamed of for the collection.
In addition to the princess style solutions and classic A-line dresses, the MIRROR collection also includes mermaid styles and more restrained, minimalistic designs so that everyone can find the style closest to their personality.
Here are the beautiful campaign photos, and stay tuned for the Daalarna MIRROR haute couture collection lookbook photos in the coming weeks!
Photos: Éva Papp and Zoltán Schneider, Makeup and hair: Csilla Kiss, Model: Berta Nagy (@Attractive Models), Headpieces: Rienne Bride, Location: Esterházy Palace, Fertőd
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