'Back to Black' by Shinsuke Mitsouka

 

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A dark invention of free will, ‘Liberum Arbitrium’ is the spring-summer collection 2012 from couture designer Shinsuke Mitsouka. Based in Paris, the graduate from Nottingham Trent University presents individuality and creative flair of London to the couture influences of the city of Paris to a futuristic look to a gothic inspired collection. The entire collection is dark and mysterious; models are motionless with only their piercing eyes to absorb and create an edgy dramatic atmosphere.
 

 

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‘Back to black’ is a term that should be used loosely throughout this collection of sheer fabrics and leather - heavily laced with exposed zip lined trims on structural tailoring -  the use of soft fabrics made to look harsh and menacing upon the eyes. Clear influences of Japanese culture, the flight of a ninja takes to the catwalk in a long draped jacket with high collared neckline covering the face but rests just above the tip of the nostrils, of the assassin, with no more than a glare sharp enough to cut through the deepest and darkest of steel covered in vertical zip detailing to add a fashion-edge.  Clearly this is a woman to be feared and not loved.
 

 

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Sheer fabrics carefully laddered uncovered exposing bosoms left untouched or dressed with draped jackets, and the freedom of soft fabrics were accessorised with laddered arm braces. A structured shouldered dress took the catwalk embellished with exposed zips pannelling the silhouette of the model like armoury as the protective measure from instruments of death. 

But it was the handkerchief dress that stole the show. The transparency of the sheer sleeved laddered top unveils the face and unveils the suppression of all human emotion. 

 

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Inbar Spector SS12

Israeli-born designer, Inbar Spector's vision of destruction and devastation is an unique explosive take on the dimensions between 'Nightmares' and 'hell'. In her dystopia, we are exposed to the truths behind growing up in conflict.  Violent images of terror swept through the collection, ever exposing us to the war torn images we are so used to witnessing in Israel, formed foundation to her eponymous showcase of intricate skill and craftmanship for SS12.

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A graduate of Isaraeli's Shenkar College in 2004, Spector's journey has been a euphoric trip to international acclaim from France to Japan to capturing the imagination of London's cutting edge as a finalist of Vauxhall Fashion Scouts  'One to Watch'.

Spector's jaw-dropping visual art sets off with metallic oversized brocade jackets coupled with carefully constructed crinoline skirts and beautiful corsetry, and amazing concertina detailing creates a dream-like world of ruffles, in total contrast to that of hell. Cleverly finding a fine line between the realms of heaven and hell, in actual fact, the collection is somewhat an angelic tale as oppose to the demonic references, one usually associates.

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Renown for her monochramatic look, Inbar Spector's SS12 delivers a heavenly palette of soft pinks and pastel mints, gold metallics notwithstanding her trademark black and white; staying forever true to her signature style of transparent sheer mesh fabrics taking us further to the depths of a gothic inspired collection. 

 

The operatic sounds adds a dramatic atmosphere as we draw closer to the end of an enchanting tale where the crowd gasps and the cameras chattering in the background as two poignant pieces grace the catwalk: a model engulfed in waves of white ruffles with a sparkle of gold corsetry and a gold straight jacket with a lantern-like base takes to the catwalk leaving the crowd applauding with great intensity.

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Georgia Hardinge S/S 12

True to form Georgia Hardinge's S/S 12 collection 'Cubed' exudes excitement and movement. Winner of the A/W 11 Merit Award, her S/S 12 takes inspiration from the dark nature of cubo-futurism, this sophistaced look of the modern woman is a triumphant exploration of free movement and control of severe lines and smooth silhouettes.

Sculpted to form, geometric prints use a grey and tan colour palette with the key colour for season - burnt orange. Diamond panelling are dominate and placed in the most important area - the optical illusion creates constriction to mimic the silhouette of the model wearing it.

 

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The fluidity of silks and chiffons reveal the soft and clean modern lines of the feminine form. The free flowing fabrics of capes coupled with mini playsuits emulate curls of waves and maxi dresses laced with sheer fabrics present the fresh and light air of the collection.
 

In contrast, with cube skirts that accentuate and flatter the female aesthetic and two-piece cropped tops topped with flared trousers, breaking up the proportion of the aesthetic in bold colour blocking, nipped in at the waist to emphasise the young designer's fathom with architectural shapes and scultpture transforming avante garde vision of art into a wearable collection for the masses.

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Sveta Sotnikova

Entitled, "De Fabrica", Sveta Sotnikova's final year project, and her first brand collection inspired for S/S 12, is a fascination with the construction of the human body. Set the difficult task of using leather; an unforgiving texture with very little room for error, but a welcomed challenge; she explores her fetish for leather, yet more importantly, demonstrates the skilful craftmanship of the London-based designer and delves into a world of darkness to produce cutting edge designs.

Using blue prints - to assist with the pattern design - to construct the hand-crafted pieces is a daring attempt at juxtaposing femininty and the fragility of the leather in search of inner strength and power, notwithstanding the beauty and emphasis of quality. The manipulation and tangible layers of leather gravitates to exposing the most intimate images of restructuring the human form. Forever an unconvetional form of applying architectural design to fashion, this collection's stringent attention to detail appeals to the unconventional woman whose strength is not for the fainthearted.

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Already snapped up by POP PR for her architectural spin on the construction of avant-garde designs, the newly graduate of London College of Fashion is fast heading in the direction of her own inspirational designers of Ricardo Tisci at Givenchy and the new generation of greats for their take on couture like Gareth Pugh and Christopher Kane.

A Flurry of Colour is Malene Oddershede Bach

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Winner of Vauxhall Fashion Scouts, ‘Ones to Watch’, Malene Oddershede Bach’s colourful rendition of Spring/Summer 12 is a captivating collection of excitement and energy.

Born in Denmark, the young Dane moved to the UK almost eight years ago to study fashion at Middlesex University. Having firmly settled in the creative and cultural scene, that is London, the flourishing designer’s talent has not gone a miss in the industry, and subsequently gained fashion credential as Assistant Fashion Designer at Preen by Thornton Bregazzi to move on to create a brand that has everyone talking.

Inspired by neon-lit nightlife of Tokyo at the heart of Gaspar Noe’s, ‘Enter the Void’, Malene’s 14 piece collection magnifies a flurry of exquisite colours – electric pinks, canary yellows and opulent turquoise with a flash of black throughout. 

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With a strong focus on textiles and textures, invisible to the naked eye, the obtrusive use of psychedellic prints - from the scales on a butterflies wings, were clear influences of nature and surrounding environments.
 

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What has become her signature looks of unusual cut-outs, digital prints and leather pieces with sculpted shoulder and misplaced arms were a direct link with science fiction horror film ‘Videodrome’ by David Cronenberg.
 

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With a vibrant vivacious colour palette, unusual cut-outs and digitised prints,  the London based designer’s signature style has already gained a strong following from celebrities alike.

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Between freelancing as a pattern cutter and working full-time in the city of London, as a Creative Consultant, Malene work ethic is something to admired and clearly inspired by the different environments she finds herself in.

To take a closer look at Malene, please visit www.maleneoddershedebach.com 

Take a Walk on the Dark Side with Zyanya Keizer

 

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“Inspired by the armour of insects combined with soft obscurity of a forest by nightfall”, Zyanya Keizer is the dark knight behind the collection entitled, “Ocultos Entre El Bosque” or translated as “hidden in the woods.”

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Born in Mexico City, the 26 year-old studied at the Fashion Academy in Antwerp. Although she did not gradaute, she finished the collection independently. She presented her first collection during Amsterdam International Fashion Week in January this year. Based on the surrealistic combination of nature and man-made environments, taking inspiration from American artist, Roxy Paine, for his interpretation on human attempts to control the natural creative processes of life, and Mike Libby, another American artist, whose use of insects and technological components to explore the  contravention of nature and technology; the young avant garde designer has created a fairytale of dark mysterious but alluring craftsmanship of unconventional yet highly detailed sculptures, in the form of beautiful garments emphasising the human figure, to express her view of reality and fantastical futuristic forest. 

 

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The young designer delves into the idea of what cannot be seen with the naked eye, but can be sensed by way of intensive detail of iron balls, sequins and carefully hand-stitched patterns, intertwined with leather and sheer textures to assemble inflexibility to exaggerated predictions of allusions to a somewhat unpredictable conclusion that beauty can conquer turmoil and disaster.

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 In the league of Iris Van Herpen, her designs are considered 'works of art'. An impressive expression of structural and architectural quality and her use of using diverse fabrics and materials screams an inviting imagination of a functional ready-to-wear collection. 

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Meet Kirsty Doyle...

Winner of the UK's prestigous fashion design competition Project Catwalk in 2006, British designer Kirsty Doyle's S/S 12 collection is every inch of sophistication and elegance, but with a contemporary twist.

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The young designer's S/S 12 collection is a sophisticated woman enjoying the elegance of the summer, dressed in dark magneta's, bisque and whites and grafik wild prints in beautifully origami inspired with loose cannon drapings supported with fine detailing of 'pretty in pink' and 'the colour of purple' bows to emphasise the classic feminine silhouette.

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A graduate from Liverpool John Moores University and the world class Central St Martins, Kirsty Doyle is every bit an entrepenneur. She independently made a name for herself from selling at a Liverpool craft market to securing and establishing an aspirational brand as part of the largest state-of-the-art retail complex - Liverpool ONE.

Check out the designers website www.kirsty-doyle.com