I always get a little intrigued/suspicious when I hear about designers with a VERY specific person in mind, so specfic, this person becomes a character that manifests inside the designer's head and literally becomes the heartbeat and soul of the collection. 

However, Sarah Elbo has many stories to tell and they all revolve around a girl called Bo.  From her first label 'Sarah Heartbo', which a few of you might be familiar with and where the character of 'Bo' was left at the point where she was getting comfortable in a welcoming house (AW07-8 collection 'there is no place like home...'), Bo has now left that house for new adventures.  Translation, Sarah Heartbo has now become the label Bo van Melskens. 

Now, what has a girl called Bo with whom I have no connections/relations with got to do with me and why would I want to read her story?  Well, click below, enlarge and take a few minutes to read... involving rusty black cabs, chintzy hotel rooms, English breakfasts and a masquerade ball featuring a feathered-cat mask means I wouldn't mind getting up to what Bo is doing...   

...especially when it involves an accompanying narrative collection with a lot of pretty dresses (making up half of the collection) in a range of shapes that is a little all over the place in terms of 'period'.  Jackie O sillhouettes and body-con cut-out dresses sit well together in a collection that is modern and playful.  The Sarah Heartbo website said she designs for the 'growing up girl' but by that, I don't think she solely means teenagers.  Bo Van Melskens (the 'van Melskens' is derived from her great grandmother) seems to be for those that keep their insecurities to themselves and will probably always have them no matter what successes they achieve throughout the years.  Tentative dressing is what I'd call it, which doesn't mean the collection isn't accomplished but the effect of wearing it is that there is something pleasingly off-balance about it. 

The look book images follow Bo into her world and and though naturally Bo does look lovely in every piece of Bo Van Melskens she is wearing, and whilst stealing people’s style isn’t my thing, I'm not ashamed about coveting Bo’s wardrobe and adding a bit of Bo to my life. 

So image heavy is this post, that I have put up the lookbook/linesheet images in a slideshow here and Bo Van Melskens current SS08 collection is available on the lush Style Server.