Et Ochs Resort 2023

Inspiration can come from funny places, and for resort Michelle Ochs, it looks at the 90s cartoon classic: “Rugrats. “I distinctly remember how boldly they outlined the silhouette,” she says, adding that she’s been rewatching the show with her kids. It infuses her work with a sense of playfulness. “I wanted to do something optimistic and introduce color.”

Look: A modern take on the power of dressing, with fresh cutouts, knits and leathers combined with sporty details.

Note: “We couldn’t keep the dresses in stock,” she said of her last season, adding that buyers came back for another round of dresses to satisfy customers’ appetite for her outstanding event dressing.

Key pieces: 3D elements with subtle padding, light chainmail party dresses, knitted sporty chord details, razor cut pants with leg slits and chocolate leather suits with cutouts at the knee all played to her sexy side. Cut-outs were a staple of bold dresses, tops and dresses with metallic wire detailing in corsets, and the best choice, which gave the garment an extension and changed its proportions.

Takeaway: A year on, Michelle Ochs is firmly on the sensual side, but done in a way that makes women feel powerful without being too vulgar. “I’ve always felt, looking back at my history, that I was always against trying to educate about body trickery and showing skin, and I feel like now we’re finally moving in the same direction,” she says. As a designer, Oakes now continues to explore for the clients she knows.