A key figure in the current wave of designers illuminating London womenswear, Marios Schwab has bolstered the city's fashion schedule since the launch of his eponymous label in 2005. Known for his body-con silhouette, a signature that emerged from a fixation with dance and movement, Schwab's take on femininity is a cerebral one; crossing the covetable with the wilfully multi-dimensional – just like the women who are drawn to his designs.

I like the challenge of taking something so classic and recognizable and translating it in a way that feels different and unusual, yet it's still an object of beauty

Consistently challenging himself with a push-pull between tradition and modernity, crystals have long played a part in the Austrian's storytelling, both shimmering and empowered. Applied in innovative ways, here the designer talks us through his Autumn/Winter 12 embellishments and their amorphous, melting lines.

"I like the challenge of taking something so classic and recognizable and translating it in a way that feels different and unusual, yet it's still an object of beauty. I have been part of the Swarovski Collective for 12 seasons, it's a long-term partnership that allows me to emphasize true craft. Starting from the Crystal Element itself to the way it is applied, a whole story can be based on it. Looking back at the archive pieces, there is something very meaningful apart from the obvious decorative use, a story that has layers and many angles you can look into, very much like the facets of a crystal."

Read Dazed Digital's review of Marios Schwab's A/W12 collection HERE