S / S 2 0 1 3
S H O W R E P O R T
By
F L O R A P E T T I T T
C H E C K
and P L A I D
The plaids at Thom Browne
came in bright red, yellow and blue, light green and orange as well as in black
and white. Most of the outfits contained two or three versions of check and
plaid in different colours and sizes with some cut on the bias, which all
produced a slightly hectic but fun and energetic feel. At Dries Van Noten the designs came in
slightly more subdued colours than at Thom Browne; pale blue, dusty green
burgundy and brown, and used unusual fabrics; taffeta, organza,
mousseline, and lamé to keep it feeling
feminine, but there still seemed to be the inclination that one tartan is
simply not enough and up to 3 different designs found themselves layered up on
the same outfits often with large flower prints thrown into the mix.
At Marc by Marc Jacobs the checks
were brightly coloured in pinks, oranges, and blues often diluted somewhat with
items in grey and dusty brown. The sizes varied from either very small on bags
and scarves or else so huge they hardly resembled checks anymore, the look
carried from head to toe with gingham and checkered shoes. The whole collection
had a distinct gypsy feel to it as a result of all the layering, headscarves
and brightly clashing prints.
To me plaid can often feel more
Winter than Summer –think woven shawls and blankets and thick warm shirts- but
the bright colours or light and airy fabrics chosen by the designers made sure
that this trend is a thoroughly Summer one.
Both Moschino and Sass and Bide
used contrasting piping in their monochrome outfits which gave them a very
graphic, outlined feel, Moschino especially used black and white edges to
almost draw details and design features onto the clothes. At Balenciaga, Ghesquière too, used black and white to create striking shapes in his
designs. As the models walked down the runway, skirts with long slashes or
cascading, undulating hems that moved sensually with the wearer, revealed double
sided fabrics creating a variety of exciting and changing shapes.
At Roberto
Cavalli we saw extremely intricate black detail on sheer and light fabrics that
produced a much softer approach to monochrome. Ralph
Lauren spiced up his striking white tailored suits with splashes of red and
purple in the form of silk scarves tied round necks and poking out of breast
pockets.
C O L L A G E
Patchwork and collage themes have
an inherent Summer feel especially when done in the bright colours and light
weight fabrics that we saw this season.
From New York there was Helmut Lang where the patchwork was very
structured and defined in black and white with vibrantly contrasting pops of
orange. A key part of this patch work style is that the garments are not
symmetrical, Helmut Lang emphasised this by using varying thicknesses and of cloth; opaque and
semi-transparent, especially for the hem line, drawing attention to the
unevenness.
Marc by Marc Jacobs accessorised
with large tied waist bands and head scarves for a distinctly relaxed, bohemian
look. He also combined a variety of prints; blue and orange check, blue and
white gingham and decorative purple swirling patterns, strips and panels. In
Paris, Issey Miyake’s style of patchwork was much more graphic; black and white
stripes clashing with bright primary colours and sheer fabrics creating optical
illusion style pieces.
C O C O O N S L E
E V E S
A wide, loose sleeve that hung
down to just below the elbow was seen at a number of shows this season; Eudon Choi
gave us the style in stiff patent leather while Jil Sander used soft white
cotton for a relaxed yet still structured look.
This style of sleeve creates
volume round the mid section of the body mimicking the bell shape of the hips
and skirt and producing a rounded, cocoon shape overall. It is, in my opinion,
most effective when in a plain fabric, emphasising the exaggerated silhouette,
or in a brighter block colour for more impact such as at Stella McCartney.
There is something very satisfying about the smooth lines and gentle curve falling
from the shoulder, ending abruptly at the elbow.
W H I T E on W H I T E
This season white continued to be
a strong theme with many designers
featuring it in their collections and a number of entirely white outfits with white on white decoration and
embellishment. Most designers who sent full white outfits down the runway chose
a variety of fabric to break up the monotony of the colour, such as Roberto
Cavalli who combined leather with softer fabrics; lace and chiffon, carefully
placed slashes and intricate beading, and Emilio Pucci whose heavily beaded and
embellished jackets framed layers of soft organza that gave off an air of
delicate femininity. Christopher Kane’s embroidered jackets and dresses on the
other hand, looked thick and heavy, almost quilt- like, and Comme des Garcons
presented us with piles of draped fabric in varying shades of bright white and
cream that became abstract with the addition of sleeves in unexpected places.
They almost make me think of calico toiles that have gone horribly wrong or
been put together in the dark. The Comme des Garcons collection also featured
thigh length, bright white manes of hair that almost became part of the outfits.
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