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| Photography by Lucas Seidenfaden |
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| Illustrations by Kellyanna |
The first model appeared to soft atmospheric music with only a slight drumming and looked fiercely down the runway. Her strong makeup around the eyes and mouth was smudged and the hair was flat but with lots of backcombed volume.
The look was typical of Florian’s usual sculpted
silhouettes: a bright white jump suit, which followed and hugged the female
form in a very flattering way. Yet, even in this first piece it is also
suggested that he is moving away from this aesthetic, marked by a fluid cape
falling from the shoulders.
As the collection developed this transition became more
evident. Soft gathered skirts on
the ultra feminine white mini dresses had a playful feel but still remained
structured around the waist and a white and cream pink jumpsuit had draping
fabric around the chest
A loose reworked kimono style top referenced the Japanese
culture and clothing - the inspiration for this collection and was cinched in
at the waist in the traditional form with wide tie belt.
A break in models appearing on the catwalk and the change in
music signalled a change in mood of the collection. So far it felt quite
ladylike: luxurious white jumpsuits and shiny-ridged jackets with gaping
sleeves. The beat became stronger and the tune fast paced. And along came a futuristic
Japan. The girls walked at a quicker pace in dresses, reminiscent of the first
half of the collection but they had been deconstructed and revamped. Cut out
panels in the white dresses had been replaced with colourful lace inserts of
green, yellow, purple and red – a direct reference to a typical geisha
colouring. With every dress the coverage of the bright lace grew. The finale
was a fantastic full-length dress in the lace with a large slit up the back of
the skirt and down the back of the model.
I distinctly remember the accessories in this collection.
Small chain arm bracelets, chain mail draped over the forehead and particularly
covetable was the metal and chain garter, captivatingly layered over white
trousers. These together with the demon like faces of the models, toughened the
pure, polished collection.
It was a wearable marriage of traditional Japanese
aesthetics and feminine shapes while giving us a glimpse into the future.
Text: Rosanna Cole