Cynthia Cheng Mintz

Mary Katrantzou presented her very artsy pieces at the last day of London Fashion Week’s Autumn/Winter 2011 Collections (the official last day is actually Wednesday, but only men’s wear is being presented).  Resembling pieces of hand-painted antique china, these very colourful pieces are certainly different from what many other designers are presenting for next season.  Many pieces had shimmery looks as well as ornamentation and were, according to press, inspired not only by porcelain, but also Faberge Eggs and courtly costume from the Qianlong Dynasty in China.  Pieces included short, egg-shaped dresses and skirts to gorgeously printed or jewelled tights, pants, jackets and sweaters as well as long, flowing dresses more appropriate for the evening.

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Palettes in this collection are definitely not autumn-flavoured.  In fact, it was very much spring – especially with the long, flowing purple dress.  However, this is what makes Mary’s collection otherwise stand out.  While the pieces are more along the lines of art – looks that most women would probably not wear – the fact that the colour range is not dominated by blacks, browns and greys will definitely brighten up any day, especially in the winter.