When Priscilla and I were in Tokyo back in December, we met a lot of interesting people. Toy designers, inventors, musicians, illustrators, clothing designers. You would have never been able to guess the ages of these people because they exuded youth, creativity, and fun. They were almost all in their 40s. “Tokyo is a place you come to if you want to be a kid” said Don the 40-something year old toy designer. I was only in Tokyo for about a week, but it didn’t take long for me to understand what he meant. On that trip I witnessed street construction signs that looked like amusement park displays, I purchased condoms with cartoon bears on the box, and I saw adults dressed in playful colorful attire walking down the street on their way to work.
Since Priscilla Barroso launched her first collection for her line Crowned Bird three years ago, her aesthetic has always been one full of color, youthfulness, and inspired by the past. But with her third collection, BAKA, which stands for Be A Kid Again and also means “foolish” in Japanese, Priscilla plays with the idea of youthful light-heartedness and nostalgia even further than she has before. Undoubtedly inspired by her trip to Tokyo, BAKA displays even brighter colors, more exaggerated silhouettes, and “little-girl” cuteness. While the collection has a sweetness to it, it manages to remain quirky.
One of the most pleasantly surprising things from the collection which premiered at Austin Fashion Week, is the final look consisting of a patterned skirt-suit in oversized polka dots. It is the perfect combination of “mature woman” mixed with “fun little-girl.” It’s ironic that in a collection titled “Be A Kid Again” Priscilla showed her most grown-up look, but that’s why we love her. Crowned Bird is sophistication with a wink.
Joanna Wilkinson
keep austin stylish