Mary Katrantzou Spring/Summer 2016: Complex Cosmologies
The notes at Mary Katrantzou's show in London this evening spoke of two opposing ideologies: cosmic and chaos. She wanted to explore the concept of movement and 'voyage into uncharted territories' by all accounts. Instead, the designer printed a heartfelt message to her late course leader, Louise Wilson, who died in May last year. This was all the more poignant as the collection was shown at Central Saint Martin's, the designer's alma mater. The great educator in question famously headed up the MA fashion course there.
'I miss you, your presence, your wit, your wisdom,' Mary wrote. 'I wish I could pop upstairs after the show and see you. Your words are always with me, guiding me. I am so grateful to have had a mentor whose spirit shaped me and penetrated so deeply.'
With a ruffly and remarkably delicate touch, the designer drew cultural inspiration from Balkan, Ukranian and Romanian dress, the British tailoring tradition and French haute couture workmanship.
The print the designer made her name with, vibrant colour and channels of lace were inserted into wool pinstripe tailoring. Embroideries drew on Medieval engravings of the cosmos and Rorsachach test prints dictated the form of draped garments.
If the narrative was clearly an intellectual one, the clothes were beautiful and resonated with emotion too. That was not least because, for all their cleverness, they were realised from start to finish with love and a light and ultimately light-hearted touch.
'I wanted all the intricacy to be so light you could put a dress in your suitcase and pull it out again,' Mary said backstage. 'It was about moving my work forward in a way I hope will be desirable.'
With tiny meadow flowers, crumpled roses and constellations so small in some instances they were barely visible moving across their lovely surfaces this was very much that and more.
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