Pushing forward from her previous seasons, Mary Katrantzou's offering for Spring Summer 12 maintained her interest in fully printed garments and the trompe-l'oeil aesthetic but in what seemed a more developed and refined way. It was flowing silk full length dresses rather than the tough structured pieces we have seen before that made up the majority of the collection. A variety of patchwork colours and pleated chiffon where set against the silk, giving the pieces that distinctive Katrantzou collage effect.
Rather than the obvious imagery and shapes we have seen previously, this season had pictures had become more abstract and therefore perhaps more accessible. Structured pieces were on show later in the collection though, with a tough looking bodice in floral colours and a variety of printed vinyl pieces including an off the shoulder dropped hemline dress and a punky biker jacket with metal bead embellished arms. The biker jacket was teamed with colour blocked floral print trousers which led onto softer shapes with long backed chiffon again in the colour blocked floral print. As the show closed it was a couple of classic Katrantzou tulip shape evening gowns in full trompe l'oeil and a puffball dress with an underwater print.
Dazed Digital: There have been a lot of full prints across various designers collections this season in London. Where do you think that is coming from?
Mary Katrantzou: I think a lot of designers here are owning prints for one reason or another. We have got to a really nice place where we are using prints in all of their diversities, I think because its so visual you can really do and say a lot with print.
DD: What were you looking at for inspiration this season?
Mary Katrantzou: As ever I am really interested in John Chamberlain's art, the first part of the collection really referenced that. I was quite scared to work with anything organic in the past because I am so graphic so I wanted to see how I would approach a coral reef or a flower bed. I feel like this collection was a long journey through a lot of terrains looking at a variety of influences.
DD: Where did the bead work come from in the final pieces?
Mary Katrantzou: It was actually tin cans that we chrome sprayed and then rubbed it off so that it became black. That was then crystallised really heavily. It was about bringing about a lot of different elements and getting a nice balance between them all.
