sophistication to the collection.

Sequential block patterns invaded form-fitting dresses, studded leather jackets trespassed on whimsical sheer skirts, brass metallic golds and silvers usurped sleek feminine suits, and a floor-length deep purple sheer gown accepted the rule of jagged, linear black piping. It would seem in the land of Gaultier, juxtaposing futuristic, military Amazonian women with the glamorous, but traditional, femme fatale isn’t just rule of law – it’s plain common sense.

The post Paris Fashion Week: Jean Paul Gaultier AW13 appeared first on Wonderland.

Taking on a contemporary Annie Hall strolling down the Seine with her travelling buddies on gap year, the Paul & Joe AW13 woman is carefree, cool and socially prominent.  Usually sporting flower power florals and Jodi Mitchell blouses, this season can be summed as comfortable, loose and causally chic, with seventies tailoring parading backstage and on the catwalk.

Baggy, tailored trousers paired with billowing blouses and pastel jumpers were cool and androgynous. Nude, pale pink and black trenches

combined precise tailoring and oversized ease, adding a playful twist on the menswear-inspired designs. Of course there were prints, it is Paul & Joe after all. But unlike the bright florals of spring, these prints were dark and moody: midnight florals, golden brocade, checkered nudes, all paired with simple fur collars and loose, relaxed layering. And with the exception of bright canary yellow trousers and trench coat, the palette, rarely diverting from pale pinks, nudes, and blacks, was as relaxed as this collection’s dreamy silhouettes.

Words: Elise Marraro
Images: Mark Rabadan

The post Paris Fashion Week: Paul & Joe AW13 appeared first on Wonderland.

A lot can happen in two years. Back in 2011, Kenzo was better known for its poppy perfume bottle than its runway shows. Since taking over the reins, Opening Ceremony founders Humberto Leon and Carol Lim have transformed the quintessential East-meets-West label into one of LVMH’s coolest, youngest brands. So how do you move on from that big splash, which saw their tiger-head sweatshirt sell more than 20,000 pieces since its launch last year? With big names, celeb clout and a well-constructed show that’ll play to both the flashy Tumblr crowd and the discerning industry insider.

Leon and Lim roped in Karlie Kloss and Lindsey Wixson for their autumn/winter show and pulled their cool-kid strings and got M.I.A to whizz up a special mix, which incidentally served as a preview of a few new tracks.

(Great publicity, Maya!) Inspired by colours of Indian temples and the multi-coloured grosgrain ribbons favoured by Kenzo in the 70s, the clothes blended metallic jacquard and lamé, with a luxe edge added by extravagant use of shimmery gold – think New York gallery girl out for a night on the town in Goa.

The bomber jacket with raglan sleeves and brocade suiting were a particular highlight, and emphasises everything so great about Kenzo right now – that kind of casual, cool-kid insouciance which has got people flocking to the shops. And as for those on the lookout for the next tiger-head sweatshirt? That honour goes to the black sweatshirt with the third eye logo. You’ve been warned.

Words: Zing Tsjeng
Images: Mark Rabadan

The post PARIS FASHION WEEK: Kenzo AW13 appeared first on Wonderland.

Ah, the French. Famously aloof and dour, right? Well, today’s Issey Miyake show could put a smile on even the most implacable Parisian. Out went the restrained colour palette of previous seasons; and in came a zesty, technicolour landscape of greens, pink and blues. And if that wasn’t enough to shake you out of the grey-skied gloom of the past few days, a quartet of electronic musicians jamming in the background and producing a kind of Scottish bagpipe funk was enough to get you smiling. The models weren’t unaffected, either – they trooped down the runway wearing big, sunny grins (or, as a sign backstage advised, “TRUE SMILES”).

The show notes claimed the collection was inspired by “an ever changing mosaic of vibrantly coloured flower meadows, fields of golden wheat, the dark green of forests, the reflections of deep mirrored lakes, creating moving chequered patterns” – but this wasn’t a meditative nature-themed collection. Think a highland rave warrior.

The traditionally stoic colours of tartan and plaids were swapped for a pixellated palette, livening up androgynous suit-and-trouser combos and oversized coats. So a voluminous double-breasted coat would be treated to an electrifying dose of

colour-blocked plaid, paired with Chelsea boots with rubberized soles – just to drive home the entire techno-Scot theme. Pick us up outside the M25 for the next rave, yeah?

Words: Zing Tsjeng
Images: Mark Rabadan

The post PARIS FASHION WEEK: Issey Miyake AW13 appeared first on Wonderland.

If you’re showing at the Savoy ballroom, you better bring class and power in equal amounts. Thankfully, Iliincic didn’t disappoint. While the designer may have been

attracted to a girly shade of icy candyfloss pink this season, the Roksanda Ilincic woman was all woman. Powerful, architectural silhouettes that harked back to 1950s power woman – Joan Crawford, Bette Davis and all the rest of those magnificent divas – predominated, with short-sleeved shirts tucked into flared skirts or pencil skirts.

There was some playful touches too, with a particularly adventurous approach to material: toying with a PVC front and a taffeta back, for instance, or patent and glitter fabrics nestling side by side, adding a contemporary touch. Amidst the sometimes willfully zany backdrop of London fashion, it takes a talented designer to remind us all of who we’re designing for: women, in all their glamour and femininity.

Words: Zing Tsjeng
Images: Harry Carr

The post LONDON FASHION WEEK: Roksanda Ilincic AW13 appeared first on Wonderland.

Gold Louis shoes, leather skullcaps, boxed leather jackets and the Edwardian nude and sheer black gowns melded Gothic romanticism and S&M eroticism, made even more apparent by the monochrome palate. Think Jane Eyre as a red-light district brothel madam. Heavy fabrics like leather dominated traditional feminine silhouettes.

But while in the first look its shiny patches hardened a sailor-white jacket, in another, the feathered leather neckline on a white dress added a romantic quality. We were mesmerized by the circular evolution from childish sailor cuts to sensual, womanly forms, and finally back to virginal white. Devoted to beauty in its strangest and most exquisite forms, Meadham Kirchhoff transcended themselves this season.

Words: Elise Marraro (follow Elise on Twitter: PardonMe_Lissie)

Images: Harry Carr

The post LONDON FASHION WEEK: Meadham Kirchhoff AW13 appeared first on Wonderland.

Performing in the deep dungeons of the Tate Tank, Shystie and her fabulous dancing entourage were both the models and entertainment for Nasir Mazhar’s wild AW13 collection. Retro zebra-striped jackets accompanied the colourful and sporty midriffs, and crushed velvet sleeves glimmered in the neon haze of the Tanks. Almost all of the models sported Nasir’s apparent AW13 signature: the shiny pleated skirt. Whether mini or maxi, the pleats swayed and swivelled with erotic, jerky vampiness. But nothing compared to the Queen of the hour, as Shystie performed in a full-length, multi-textured hot pink Nasir

creation. The overdone make-up, retro hair and plush coats conjured images of a harder, more fabulous modern Birdcage spoof. Turning the Tate Tanks into London Fashion Week’s hottest new club? We approve.

Words: Elise Marraro
Images: Mark Rabadan

The post LONDON FASHION WEEK: Nasir Mazhar AW13 appeared first on Wonderland.

Out were with the old and in with the new; last night, Mary Katrantzou dramatically swerved away from the colourful prints she’s best known for, throwing the entire crowd at 5 Howick Place into a state of shock and awe. Don’t worry, their replacement was nothing short of genius.

Mary may have utilised a more reserved colour palette for next season, but there was no holding back concerning shape. Dresses framed iridescent photographs, which were cleverly brought to life through overlapping folds of luxurious fabrics and cocoon structures completely irrelevant of the body from which they hung. Where the prints ended, the leather began – and there was not an inch of leather that went unembossed in sight, boasting the vast technicalities of the collection.

Billowing metallic dresses drew the show to a close, leaving the industry’s finest speechless at the sheer beauty of the pieces. Mary Katrantzou showed off the advantages of our digital age this season, connecting fashion and art in a way she’s never quite managed before. Who knew that such melancholy prints could lift our spirits quite so high?

Words: Millie Cotton
Instagram: @elensof

The post LONDON FASHION WEEK: Mary Katrantzou AW13 appeared first on Wonderland.