Christopher Kane might not be the
newest designer to break through at Fashion Week – he’s one of the most
anticipated shows in London – but his Spring/Summer 2014 collection used
scientific references in a way that we’ve never seen before.
Drawing inspiration from
classroom biology posters, he stencilled diagrams of photosynthesis across embellished
sweatshirts and sheer midi skirts. Overblown, anatomical florals came in orange,
yellow and pink, and looked almost as if they had been drawn on by hand, copied
from a highschool textbook. Elsewhere there were petal shapes, cut out and
trimmed with leather, then scattered over jackets and dresses.
And the colours could have been
drawn straight from a litmus test. Aside from the essential monochrome outfits
and shades of nude, there were columns of lilac and mint green that took on an
almost alkaline feel.
It was all a deconstructed, more
scientific play on the florals that reappear every spring: Christopher Kane has
a knack for pulling an idea apart and looking at it in an entirely new way. But
there were much more subtle references to science, too. A safari jacket and
semi-sheer pleated skirt, both in the palest shade of buff, looked as if they
had been pulled straight from the natural world.
On the flip side, his collection
also worked in a futuristic, sci-fi feel. Models walked in holographic silver
heels that were an instant hit with the front row guests, and precision-cut
white satin glowed like liquid metal.
But it was really the metallic,
foil-like clothes that stood out. Glimmering under the light, they had a fuzzy
finish and irresistible sheen, blurring shades of blue, pink and silver
together. Simple silhouettes – round necks and pencil skirts – left everyone
looking at the fabric, which almost resembled a science experiment in progress.
If the florals, the more prominent theme in Kane’s collection, represent
biology, than this was definitely a nod to chemistry. But which would you
rather wear?
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