Monday, February 21, 2011

Best of London Fashion Week

Osman FW11

by Grace Gordon

The first thing you notice on the Osman runway is the runway itself. Color tumbles down the wall and along the platform like a spilled inkwell. This Rorschach inkblot theme carries over into the clothes which also feature the same print on the collar and bust of some of the dresses. This powerful collection is a non-stop assault of touchable textures, blunt-cut shapes, layers, and geometry.

At first glance, the clothes are easy to explain, but closer inspection reveals that something is a little “off” about it. Osman purposefully incorporates slightly asymmetrical hems and surprising details to give his clothes that special something. Nothing is as it seems. Dresses and skirts come in full, blazing leather, peplum adds flare to the silhouette of several tops, while wide-leg trousers bring balance to top-heavy proportionality. Huge shaggy fur sleeves look almost whimsical when attached to super sleek dresses. The ensembles were cut with strong, straight lines in such a way that each of them possessed some form of common denominator. If you see one look from this collection, you may, on the basis of cut, be able to pick out others from a lineup.