Current London print queen Mary Katrantzou sought a slouchier, and ultimately cooler, silhouette with photo-glazing of decadent gardens forming a lush canvas on her sculptural, slightly tailored cuts. Those more attuned to the harder winter season [unable to detract from long, oversized silhouettes] will revel in the multiplicity the trend provides: sports-infused bulky shoes (from trainers to Doc Martens to the silvery Rochas pair seen above) provide an edge to the ethereal all-white dresses. Indeed, it’s icy white – the colour of the season – lead by Louis Vuitton, Jil Sander and Versace that balances the sugarcane saturation of girls on horses at an idyllic fairground; following Coppola’s suit, this is a more voyeuristic, yet not less any majestic, walk across this season’s fairy tale park.

Photographer: Martha Boxley
Fashion Editor: Francesca Prudente
Words: Modesta Dziautaite

Hair: Klare Wilkinson using Kevin Murphy
Make Up: Emily Mergaert using Chanel SS12 and Hydra Beauty Serum
Fashion Assistance: Miguel Santos

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Nicola Formichetti and co-designer Sébastien Peigné unleashed their most ambitious show yet, re-imagining Thierry Mugler’s 1997 Insects collection. Sculptural white cashmere, neoprene, and elongated fur sleeves floated on stage in futuristic shapes once rendered only by the namesake designer. All the while the poetic Dries van Noten took the eastern influence that’s become this season’s motif, and cut engineered prints into their fluid asymmetrical shapes.

Saturated fuchsia kept reappearing and not only at Phoebe Philo’s intimate presentation for Céline, where bold fur coats clashed against her proverbial minimalist updates, but at Stella McCartney, where she infused it with Yves Klein lace applique. The big guns, Chanel and Louis Vuitton, opted for loucher dresses-over-trousers shapes and bigger, bolder backdrops; Chanel’s cave of crystal stalagmites and Vuitton’s decamped train station (with porters carrying heritage trunks in time for a major
exhibition at Paris’s Les Arts Décoratifs).The current talk of the town, Haider Ackerman, took his sinuous silhouette for a walk under autumnal leaf shades with tailoring that streamlined the female form the way only he could. If that wasn’t thrilling enough, the ever tongue-in-cheek Alber Elbaz celebrated his ten years at Lanvin with a romanticised collection of best of’s: intense pop colours on hourglass ruffles, black velvet dresses and coats kicking out from the hips, and glistening embellishments on rich, boxy satin. It was an exaltation of the modern woman that is sure to maintain Lanvin’s escalating allure.

But the icing on the cake came from the satirical Rei Kawakubo who sent down exaggerated cocoon coats and dresses pressed so flat out from the body shape, they resembled paper doll dresses, some in block Lego colours, others with childlike prints. As models walked in complete silence she poked fun at minimalism, or maybe just quietened the Chinese whispers riding waves through the autumn/winter season.

Words: Modesta Dziautaite

Pictures: Amina Nolan

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The autumn/winter ’12 shows are well under way, hinting at a darker, gothic sensibility for next season. Milan did it full of intoxicating glamour but with a newfound stripped-back elegance (à la Jil Sander). With Rooney Mara fringes at Marni, a play on boxy tailoring at Bottega Veneta, and beaming jewels just about everywhere, it showed it’s not a capital to be overlooked. We rounded up some of our favourites…

On Miuccia Prada’s mind for next winter is ladylike power and aristocracy, but virtual (inspired by her PhD in political science?). Rolling out the lavish carpet seen at the menswear show – this time in purple, she sent out avatar-like regal princesses.

Layers of three-quarter-length skirts and tailcoats were wrapped over tapered trousers elongating the silhouette, complimented by the dip-dyed, never-ending hair. They came embellished with glitzy decoration in the form of giant scattered diamonds – only they weren’t real jewels, but plastic 3-D ornaments. Prada for the people? Not entirely. Their shapes were taken from the rich graphic prints that followed, recalling early 70s pop art and interior design. Toying with taste, the seasonal Prada shoe came in two-tone clunky heels and low platforms. Structure, ornament and print, it was the cultivated a,b,c of Prada.

“Beautiful” is not the adjective to describe collections, but Raf Simons’ last one for Jil Sander was just that. Guided by the emotion of Simons stepping down to make way for the house’s namesake designer, it brought the usually composed Milano to tears. On the catwalk were bouquets of flowers encased in glass boxes, celebrating and commiserating his seven years at the helm. From these stemmed the powdery sweet palette of the collection – blush pinks, dusty creams and pale lavenders – on cocoon coats in soft wool and cashmere. Sonic Youth’s version of “Superstar” on the soundtrack seemed fitting, poignant even, as the collection hit all the chords of Simons’ masterful refinement. One that also hinted at new pastures, or should we say New Look-ridden ones?

While last season saw Milan lose D&Gs exuberance, Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana have put in twice the work on their main line. And it shows. This season saw them explore opulence inspired by ornately carved frames, with gold embroidery recalling gilding seen on Indian sarees. Though not ones to cover up their voluptuous woman, the duo placed the principal motif on strict black wool tuxedo dresses and velvet rompers. Baroque-rich capes followed as outerwear, layered over trademark white lace and floral dresses. Full of grandeur and theater, the collection screamed bourgeois, but one that pushed their own envelope.

Words: Modesta Dziautaite

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Yves Klein and navy blue palette form a base for expertly cut blazers, layered over silky nylon anoraks that come with pegged carrot trousers in neutral beige and browns, finished with dashes of leopard-print footwear.

As ever with Smith, it’s all in the detail – sliced-off crew neck cardigans compliment angular ends of sky blue ties, intricate stitching on horizontal denim stripes, and inverted collars on varsity jackets.

Timeless yet modern, the collection boasts hybrid-clothing sculpted to seamlessly fit the contemporary male’s wardrobe. Finally, prismatic rainbow-bright prints and orange paneling neatly tie-up the quintessentially English collection.

Photographers: Andrew and William Ho.
Fashion Editor: Alexander Harley.
Set Design: Eoin Dillion.
Hair: Mitsu using Murdock London.
Make up: Holleigh Gallon using Laura Mercier.
Model, (Wonderland’s own) Joe Fleming at Premier Model Management
Words: Modesta Dziautaite

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