Natalia Brilli S/S 09

From microscope images of bacteria, Natalia Brilli managed to take the acidic bright colours and the circular forms and transfer that to her leather accessories which has gained quite the cult following. She admitted herself that her obsession with leather needed to evolve from her signature black-clad objects; so for S/S 09, the leather morphs into bright blue, yellow, olive green. The finishes become more complex, in particular patent gets boiled and blistered until a shiny speckled effect is achieved that will always be irregular in its outcome. Marabou gets weighted down with necklaces that never cross over into frou-frou territory. Bacteria shapes in circular clusters is a repeating motif. On the bags, cut leather is knotted on the sides which as a texture is something Brilli has started to experiment with. Still, the Brilli trademarks are all still there; the leather beads, the slouchy shape of the bags and a her general deft sensibility towards how leather should be treated, taking the material out of its context.

For the men, things are a bit literal but in the small niche of menswear accessories, perhaps a sense of humour is needed to attract attention. Laptop cases with the keyboard moulded into it, passport covers with the crest relief, wallets necklaces and sunglases holders all bearing some kind of literal reference and of course Brilli's bestselling "Nolex", a leather bracelet in the form of a watch, coveted by both men and women. There is a also rock n' roll element added with knitted suede scarves and for this season, the centrepieces that Brilli likes to indulge in, is a leather clad guitar. In fact Brilli has constructed an entire skeletal rockband all clad in black leather (clad meaning each and every single bone painstakingly moulded...), complete with drumkit, guitars and they are rocking away in the windows of Paris shop Maria Luisa. This display will be travelling the world over the next year and the future for Brilli also includes shoes that are in development at the moment, involving black leather of course and most certain to be extreme.