Mary Katrantzou Fall 2012

Perhaps I'm biased, as a lover of print and color, but since I first stumbled upon the work of Mary Katrantzou a year or two ago in the pages of Vogue, she has been on the top of my mental list of contemporary creative geniuses in fashion. Though my love for Missoni will never die, my obsessive adoration of Mary Katrantzou's designs is truly unique in that no other fashion label has ever caused me to almost drool and/or cause a facial expression characterized by raised eyebrows, wide eyes, and an open mouth. Let me add that while browsing the Mary Katrantzou section at Opening Ceremony last weekend (my first time at the famed multi-brand boutique) I was tearing up because in my hands was a Mary Katrantzou garment. 
Maybe I'm being a bit of a drama queen, but I have to argue that it's actually instinctive. This is what a Mary Katrantzou dress does to me. Don't even get me started on her spring/summer 2012 show. (I blogged about it here, though I would like to mention that I hadn't quite reached my current Mary Katrantzou emotional state at the time the post was written.)
Anyways, I was overwhelmed with excitement during the beginning of London Fashion Week, eagerly awaiting the fall 2012 collection of this designer who is so dear to my heart. I did not in fact wake up at 4 am Tuesday morning to see the collection (I did consider it), but the first thing I did when I woke up was jump right on to Style.com for a nice little gawking session. And, of course, the genius of Mary Katrantzou did not fail to impress. 

Images from style.com

To be honest, words can't properly describe this collection and do it justice. The looks that strutted down the runway featured Katrantzou's signature style of prints: realistic digital imagery of ordinary objects (in most cases - see the garden labyrinth dress as an exception). These designs more so than past ones are almost like optical illusions; the first time you see one of these dresses, it looks like it just has a pretty abstract print. On a second look, you may find a typewriter or a clock. (See if you can find them in the images above.) In terms of color: after the cascade of rainbow colors in the Mary Katrantzou S/S'12 collection, it was nice to see single-hued looks, a rare thing for the designer. Yet the color palettes were beautiful and vibrant as always, and even the looks in neutral tones succeeded in maintaining my interest! (In runway shows, it takes a real mastermind to interest me when it comes to neutrals.) The silhouettes were imaginative as always, with Katrantzou challenging herself to find new ways to incorporate structure in more unusual ways. Structured shoulders and various twists on the peplum shape are examples.

This was another fabulous set of work from an extremely talented designer. Mary Katrantzou's print and textile background definitely shows, but it also takes true imaginative ability and skill to execute prints in such a fine manner. Not only are these looks beautiful, but they have depth and whimsy to them. Mary Katrantzou has a way of creating complex, feminine looks that are also fiercely modern. Katrantzou's designs aren't for the faint of heart, but isn't fashion all about having fun?


Please - for your own sake (and mine) - take a look at the entire collection here.


xoxo