Emilia Wickstead’s resort lookbook opens with a model wearing a bold, almost confrontational expression. Her slicked-back hair and structured coat dress strike a balance between ladylike elegance and tomboyish edge, her parted lips suggesting she might speak—or even scold. “I like to think that my muse is standing up for herself this season,” Wickstead explained. “She’s a bit more rebellious and loud.”

The collection draws inspiration from Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo, a film beloved by designers for its 1950s glamour, thanks to Edith Head’s costumes for Kim Novak’s enigmatic character (or characters?). While Vertigo explores a man’s obsession with a woman’s appearance—and his desire to reshape another woman in her image—Wickstead’s interpretation adds depth. She highlights fashion’s transformative power (a theme any designer understands) and flips the script, making her version of Novak’s Judy more defiant. “She’s loud in her expressions, how she speaks, and how she dresses,” Wickstead said, emphasizing the striking primary-color backdrops she chose to showcase the clothes.

Wickstead has a knack for taking bold colors and prints—which might feel overwhelming in less skilled hands—and refining them into polished, wearable pieces. The collection includes her signature floral day dresses, but some of the strongest looks are smart separates: a blue button-down collar layered over an oatmeal cable-knit sweater with a checkered skirt, or an oversized dark green coat draped over a fuzzy V-neck. That’s not to say the eveningwear was any less impressive—several gowns leaned more opulent than usual for Wickstead, like a stunning gold jacquard dress with a sculpted waist and beaded sleeves. “Even with the more glamorous pieces—though I don’t love that word—I wanted to play with distortion and movement,” she noted.

A few unexpected touches nod to Vertigo’s darker themes. Most intriguing were polka-dot organza layers that seemed to shift and warp as the fabric moved. “It’s about duality, illusion, obsession, transformation—those are the key words,” Wickstead said. As always, her designs reveal more than meets the eye.