Wednesday, September 21, 2011

London Fashion Week Coverage

Mary Katrantzou Spring 2012

A converted Eurostar station was transformed into a wondrous dreamscape for Mary Katrantzou’s Spring/Summer 2012 show. Neatly manicured rows of carnations created the middle of a rectangular runway, and mirrored the floral prints and bright shades of the clothes. Though this elaborate display of flowers was a breathtaking visual, it paled in comparison to the explosion of colors, patterns and prints on the runway. Katrantzou’s previous body of work has been massively successful, but this took her conceptual design to a whole new level – effectively eclipsing her previous collections.

The dresses on her runway fit together like puzzle pieces: a fitted bodice with off-kilter shoulder straps was attached at the back with two scarf-like panels of sheer, pleated chiffon. One panel was in printed purple, and the other in a soft yellow – and together they looked like tails of some exotic bird. She also showed woven sweatshirts, soft knit dresses, and dramatic gowns – each covered in dizzying, kaleidoscopic prints. The prints go from articulated to abstract and feature an array of dots, patterns, and images.

Backstage, Katrantzou noted, “I wanted to make metal beautiful the same way flowers are.” In an instance where art imitates art, the influence of metal sculptor John Chamberlain bled into the dresses on the runway, particularly the last one. Made of crushed tin cans and car parts, this dress took six people to hold up while a seamstress sewed it onto the model right before she walked down the runway. This collection is indisputably gorgeous, and the metal can/car part dress elevated it from ready-to-wear to high-concept couture, which is something that has been severely lacking on the LFW runway. Hats off to Katrantzou – this is nothing short of an immense achievement.

written by GRACE GORDON|photos: courtesy of GoRunway

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