The advent of digital textile printing has opened up a whole new world of creative possibility and unprecendented flexibility for designers - we're finally beginning to see the line between conceptual design and pret-a-porter blur. No designer has embraced these new technologies with more enthusiasm than London's own textile illusionist Mary Katrantzou.
Long regarded as a master of trompe l'oeil, Katrantzou took inspiration for her S/S 2011 collection from seventies interior design photography, but turned inside-out - the room is now on the model, rather than the model in the room. Her S/S 2011 runway is enchanting on a variety of levels, as the prints are not only masterfully designed to have a stunningly three-dimensional depth but they simulataneously draw the viewer inward without distracting from the actual construction of the pieces, which is exquisite.
Furthermore, each look is a separate vignette unto itself within the greater narrative of the collection, adding a flair of enticingly unaddressed intrigue. It's a supremely relevant and ingenious interpretation of this spring's fairytale trend - London Fashion Week just took a long awaited turn for the better.
Post by Nicolas Sera-Leyva
