London Fashion Week SS12 - Day Four

JASPER GARVIDA

Titled ‘Autour d’un Point’ after Frantisek Kupkas’s painting of a succession of small shapes which form abstract circles. This season’s collection sees circular shapes of metallic adornments over soft fabrics, bold geometric shapes merging with animal prints to form an abstract pattern, metallic circular embellishments and sequins overlapping to create the illusion of 3D studded pattern on oversized pockets, pauldrons and belts. Not overly keen on the sequined belts and pauldrons, but the oversized metallic pockets bring dimension and interest to the little black dress and glamour to the long simple jackets.  The black and white abstract print is a breath of fresh air as an alternative to wearing a pure animal print.

Also inspired by Diana Vreeland, his muse for the season, and for her ability to blend hard and soft elements, his collection plays on all things contrasting- light and shade, day and night, hard and soft.

Like the painting the colour palette is contrasting black and white with metallic hues of silver and gold.  

This collection seemed to have something for everyone, the more structured dresses, soft blouses with oversized frilled sleeves, tailored trouser suits, a 60’s take on space age wear with metallic embellishments and a tribal nod from the abstract print. 

ZIAD GHANEM

Images courtesy Chris Dadey

After a long day running from show to show and queuing for hours, you may go in to a Ziad Ghanem show feeling exhausted and agitated, but you’ll come out feeling invigorated and on a high!

Titled ‘Matka Joanna’ the collection’s inspiration came from the Polish film ‘Matka Joanna od aniolow’ (Mother Joan of the Angels). Here is good and evil in a tale of a nun processed by demons and where love and sacrifice is her only salvation.

OK the inspiration doesn’t sound like something that will lift your spirits but Ziad uses fine art performers as well as models. These performers know how to work that catwalk and work it they did!  The gorgeous singer Miss SaHHara sashayed in a silk flower print evening gown dramatised with the red colour bleeding, and even more so with red drips painted down SaHHara’s shoulders.  Dominatrix and fire performer Jessica Love Dougher showed tough love in a see through corseted dress and g string.

Here temptation abounds in burlesque curve enhancing corsets and diaphanous silk organza body skimming silhouettes worn with nothing underneath. One little black dress although body skimming, looked quite demure and ordinary compared to the rest of the collection, until she walked past and showed a long row of loosely tied laces exposing her back and derrier.

The colour palette was monochrome representing good and evil with splashes of blood red, pinks and peaches.

Bringing innocence in to the collection was Ziad’s little niece wearing a white bridesmaid style dress, although she gave a little diva toss of her hair as she walked off the stage- bless! 




By Karen Grace
Personal Shopper & Image Consultant for Frumpy to Funky http://www.frumpytofunky.com