(images via vogue)
before we get into any fashion discussion, i just wanted to take a moment to think you very sincerely for putting up with opt’s recent hiatus and quick-rush through all of these back fashion shows i haven’t yet covered. i know it’s been a bit droll and rough, and i promise, it won’t last much longer before we can get back to real reviews that actually take the time to think things (at least insofar as i can).
so! now then, with that out of the way, it’s time to introduce toni maticevski’s s/s 2012 collection as presented at sydney’s rosemount australian fashion week! i know it feels as though we were just discussing the designer—and we were in melbourne, with his a/w 2012 range (see also his s/s 2011 from rafw last year), but before you get to blaming the australians, i believe it’s the northern hemisphere which so skews their seasons, no?
anyway, quite interestingly, though mr. maticevski’s collections usually get more press than do most other australian houses, things were pretty quiet as i went about researching his spring work. i wasn’t able to read anything that directly related to his inspiration, but i’d say that it was more of what we’re used to from him…and frankly, i found it rather hit-or-miss, with some of the looks shatteringly beautiful and others (particularly those that featured fringed bits and whatever was going on in that metallic yellow-and-black look, second from above) a little cheap.
as style hunter put it, “(u)nderstated metallics, strong shoulders and bold lines payed homage to Maticevski’s ability to combine what is so beautifully feminine yet masculine in it’s final execution…Metallic detailing and typical Maticevski textural fabrics were brought to life with splashes of bright greens and chartreuse yellows with varying shades of black.”
and the australian site the vine argued (rather correctly, i should think) that “(i)f there’s a gripe with this collection, it’s the styling. There was no press release at the time of writing, but Maticevski has in the past partnered with Siren Shoes via his Myer alliance, so one assumes he did the same again. If that’s the case, it’s likely he had little to no control over the shoes available to him, which goes some way in explaining why beautifully delicate dresses, many of them with sheer skirting, were weighed down so heavily by large platform pumps in black and yellow suede. The aesthetic fit was simply uncomfortable.”
but on the other hand, they were a little more forgiving than i would be if i had more time to devote to this review, writing that “the designer’s cuts (feminine, form-fitting, but in a flattering way) and beautiful hand-detailing can make even a pencil CBD-ish pencil skirt desirable. The designer mixed textures – jersey and floral brocades, for example – in what seemed to be play between heavy armour and soft drape, but he tied it together with peplum-waisted tops.”
however, i would like to take a moment to say that while i liked some of the layered frocks over the pencil-y skirts, i was flat-out wondering what the bloody hell was up with the leggings, and why some designers simply won’t let them drop. mr. maticevski didn’t really go into the subject of trousers, but i wished he would have, rather than try to stuff us with dated spandex once again. but alas…and finally, bella sugar had some thoughts on the show’s beauty looks, which you ought check out if interested. that tall hair was rather compelling, no?
(check out the runway finale video here)
oneporktaco 