Christopher Kane lovin’
Looking back on Christopher Kane’s SS12 collection reminded me why he’s one of my favourite designers. The power of the flower took centre stage with plastic appliques alongside sequin-edged prints. Kane claimed the inspiration for this nostalgic and dreamy collection was from a book he came across; full of teenagers in the early 80’s, surrounded by an array of fabrics and textures. The naive flower designs and folded, stark silhouettes are the product of Kane’s memories as a child, right back to his school boy days. His SS12 collection glows with youth and emulates ideas of hazy summer days, both with the pastel hues and simple yet classic dress shapes.
However, for his AW12 collection Kane turned to the dark side, transitioning from summer to winter with a more grungy and power-driven spin. This collection oozes a powerful and dominant woman, getting what she wants when she wants, which in Kane’s own words depicts, “a voyeur”. The pinstriped leather skirts, jackets and dresses shadowed the bruise-coloured luminosity that paraded down the runway. The blood red, royal blue and violet ensembles created a fetish-like force to the end of the collection, alongside an Asian-influenced twist. Think of it as if the summer girl had an evil, darker twin…
