Bohemian Rhapsody

The business of breathing new life into an established – not to mention adored – fashion house is a notoriously tricky affair, but Lorenzo Serafini has proved himself to be more than up to the task. Ever since he took the helm as Creative Director at Philosophy in 2014, the designer has managed to blend the much-loved Milanese label’s signature aesthetic – a smorgasbord of gloriously romantic, dreamy dresses – and infused it with a youthful cool that feels like a natural evolution rather than a dramatic step change.

You only have to look at the roll call of familiar faces that have popped up wearing his clothes, from Kendall Jenner and Kaia Gerber to Chiara Ferragni and Poppy Delevingne, to see that he’s getting the balance just right. It helps that there’s an irresistible warmth and joyfulness to the clothes that he whips up, neatly accompanied with enough attitude to temper any frills and frothiness. These are clothes to let loose and have fun in – and the label’s SS19 collection is no exception. Taking as its muse a fiercely independent, bohemian woman who has her heart set on escaping to the desert, it’s a mix of standout silhouettes and unabashedly feminine details – and it thoughtfully offers up enough looks to cover the endless round of weddings and parties that summer is sure to bring along the way.

There are plenty of standout dresses to choose from, of course, and not just the easy-breezy, ankle-grazing ones that you’ll rely heavily on season after season. Serafini also has a way with a mini: he’s brilliantly adept at blending daringly short hemlines with prim necklines and long, puffed sleeves to ensure that you’ll never look or feel underdressed, regardless of how much leg you’re showing off. From the crisp white cotton mini dress with its Victorian overtones to the effortless black poplin playsuit with its exaggerated shoulders, you’ll want to throw these pieces on for every occasion. And, when you want to inject a rock’n’roll edge into your look, you’ll reach for the snake-print shorts or statement-making coat, teaming them with swishy skirts, pretty cut-out blouses and ruffled tops. You’ll wonder how you ever got dressed without them.