Since Basso & Brooke first took to the runway at Fashion Fringe in 2004, they have become world renowned for their lively prints and the vivacious spirit of their collections.  This season was certainly no exception.  It featured look after look of original prints in rich colors and unbelievably lively patterns: rabbits, birds, flowers, and sumi-style waves leaping across simple geometric backgrounds.  The prints were clearly designed into the garments with an aptitude that is incomprehensible to most who know something about pattern cutting or print production, which makes these boys a team apart, especially as a number of signature gowns were draped on the bias and incorporated intensive pin tucking, gathering, and pleating.  A number of dresses were intricately pin tucked around the waistline to create a box-weaving effect.  And all against the background of those incredible prints.

Basso & Brooke found inspiration for the season “in a Japanese, rather well organized, urban chaos,” and this was very much apparent in their near perfectly controlled and mindblowingly rich execution of the art of wabi sabi.  While it is clear that the designers had an urban environment in mind, and likely a few gaming consuls in hand, they cite “The Tale of Gengi” as a main reference.  According to many records, this was likely the first novel ever to be written, and was written by a women to boot.  It was a product of the high Heian period, when high society women were kept strictly indoors as courtesans, where they created and maintained a rich intellectual and artistic culture.  And indeed this collection speaks highly to the feminine elegance and refinement of the area, in stunning silks and silhouette’s to compliment and enrich the female form.
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