At an event last year, Jenny Packham met Lisa Hynes—a representative of Ocean Rising, an initiative launched by the California nonprofit Schmidt Ocean Institute—and was struck by the organization’s work to bring awareness to their conservation research through the arts. So for her latest resort collection, Packham joined forces with the group, heading under the sea to charming results.
In Packham’s hands, the oceanic motifs you might expect—cascading waves, seashells, starfish—were delivered in ways you might not expect. First, they were realized in dazzling embroideries that carried the hypnotic shimmer of sunlight on water, or in crystal-encrusted details that decorated the sleeves and necklines of stretch crepe cocktail dresses. Delicate bodices erupted into floor-swishing skirts of pleated silk chiffon—in mint greens and bubblegum blues, naturally—while one lighter-than-air gown came in Blackpool rock candy stripes that whispered of the historic heyday of the great British summer.
It’s not hard to imagine Packham’s established clientele snapping up the glitzy eveningwear as they jet off on vacation or tee up their social calendars later this year. But the more relaxed, summer-ready pieces also spoke to a younger generation enchanted by the regal magic of Packham’s world, but possibly less willing to go the full hog on sequins and bugle beads.
That growing interest is visible in Packham’s recent celebrity hot streak: Paris Hilton wore a dazzling ice blue sequin gown for Sofia Richie’s star-studded wedding in April, and Sarah Jessica Parker wore a cheerful midi dress with polka dots and bows for the opening of the Sex and the City Experience in New York City, marking the 25th anniversary of the show. Packham’s designs are beloved for their timelessness, but their cross-generational appeal is just as noteworthy—especially when she’s in a brighter, breezier mode.
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