Initial reaction:
This season Antonio Marras's girl was walking through a blossom garden in heavy silks and clashing modernist prints.
Harajuku girls:
Whilst his last menswear collection saw Marras looking to the World Cup and nations of the world for inspiration, for the girls he honed in on one country in particular: Japan. In a pop-art take on the red dot of the Japanese flag, models' faces were decorated with colourful felt circles. Screen-printed silks showcased the country's traditional floral designs, with 3D embroidered blossoms almost hanging off dresses and blouses. The Japanese influence extended to shape as well as print, with kimono-style dresses and jackets in thick silk belted at the waist and paired with chunky platform sandals.
Traditional meets abstract:
Marras combined elements of traditional Japanese iconography with more abstract imagery – one blouse worn by model of the moment Mona Matsuoka featured a pair of intertwining hands around the collar, evocative of a Picasso lithograph (only with fancy red nails).
