Marios Schwab S/S 09

After such accolades as the Swiss textile award last year and winning "Best New Designer" in the British Fashion Awards in 2006, expectation was high for this season's show. His collection did not disappoint with more beautiful creations that went in a positive direction, with wearable pieces than in his previous seasons, perhaps a sign that Schwab is trying to grow his business. He found inspiration in the raw materials of his craft and the primitive clothing throughout history. The Greek chiton was a point of reference; a draping of cloth around the body, belted with rope or chain which was reflected in a number of looks. Of course the Grecian nods also gave way to a Halston feeling, except with a harder edge than Halston ever would have applied. Laser cut suede contrasted geometric modernism with an earthy, ancient fabric. Hussam el-Odeh again designed the jewellery, subtly incorporated in to the pieces themselves. Schwab said "I wanted the clothes to be garments as jewelley" and this was seen in his use of metallic rope wrapped around models' torsos; a nod to Christo who famously wrap buildings in rope and also the Japanese artist Araki's bondage girls. His most wearable pieces included beautiful draped minidresses in bronze, muted tones drawn from his earthly inspirations, ancient Greece and North Africa; and metallic dresses again fusing historical references with a very forward-thinking aesthetic.