How clever
are Peter Pilotto (yes it is plural, they're two designers called Peter Pilotto
and Christopher de Vos). And they are clever. They're pattern wizards who are
also geniuses at cutting and draping. But don't think of this as a technical
dissertation, because the spring/summer collection was too sexy and elegant to
be dissected into dry theory, tempting although that is when one's feeling in
the mood for a nerdy fashion discussion. But this is about clothes to wear. And
those differently scaled patterns - a theme tackled elsewhere but nowhere more
eye-catching or inventively than here - would certainly get you noticed. But
unlike some of the kaleidoscope clashes we've seen, you wouldn't look freaky.
There's a
point beyond the decorative to those oh so meticulously mismatched patterns and
it's this: spinning something new out of separates. In this instance, it's
separates that when worn together, look like a dress. It's a three for the
price of one deal that is really taking off in the current climate.
And like
others in London, they're playing with shapes. Sure there were plenty of
slinky, below the knee pencil 1940s style skirts - although there was nothing
retro about the end results, once they'd been dunked in glowing shades of
coral-red and cobalt and occasionally smothered with twinkling plastic flowers,
to ravishing effect.
While their
peers are busy getting swept along to a tribal African beat , they played with
wavy lines, clouds and a rope print that twisted round hems and waists to
striking effect. More arresting still were the swooping peplums, sometimes to
the ground and those big swooshing skirts that hit just above the knee - a
silhouette that just a season ago looked untenable but now seems increasingly
like a contender for cool, experimentalists. It certainly makes a change from
pleated chiffon maxis. And for the brave there were latex look, pastel bustiers
and boleros - an alley most recently explored by Proenza Schouler. Not that you
could accuse these two of plagiarism. They're true originals - but they might
want to ditch the rubber.
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