Daily Front Row

2012 September 17

London Spring 2013: Christopher Kane, Erdem, Burberry Prorsum

Christopher Kane Spring 2013
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(LONDON) Christopher Kane
Christopher Kane took a page out of his favorite childhood tome, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, for Spring. But don't expect more sinfully dark designs a la Fall 2012. This season, Kane spun a lush dreamscape focused on the nuts and bolts of the 19th century story. On a more literal note, tonal white suiting and apron frocks were nimbly pinned and folded with plastic nuts and bolts, oft repeated in platform peep-toe sandals. A standout came in the form of the opening white quilted rose jacket twinned with a matching pencil skirt. Later, a slew of transparent fondant pink and yellow skirts followed, all teeming with tiny jelly bows and topped off with screenprinted monster tees. Black masking tape, tagging sheer sherbet-colored dresses, was a touch too conceptual for some, but worked well when shaded white and applied to a yellow tulle dress, replete with diamonte and lace applique. All in all, Kane created a captivatingly decadent narrative from start to finish.

Erdem
Erdem Moralioglu served up a delightful treat this afternoon inside a dreamy dome tent in the middle of London's Manchester Square Gardens. On the menu? Ultra-femme frocks embroidered with demure plastic lace or scattered with the designer's familiar florals. Moralioglu indulged his craving for color this season in a surprising splash of neon orange, lemon, and cherry buds against Carolina blue lace on everything from a tulip-skirted halter dress to a ruffle-necked top 'n' pant combo nodding to the sixties. And for the chef d'oeuvre? Patchworked snakeskin sheaths with towering, matchy-matchy Maryjanes.  

Burberry Prorsum
Despite a stock market hiccup last week, Burberry Prorsum came out on top today thanks to an abundance of voluminous, candy-colored coats atop figure-hugging cocktail dresses and metallic bodysuits. To start, a retractable roof opened up in Hyde Park, shining light on a troupe of Burberry mods who stomped out in every variety of trench known to man: an ink blue cape trench, a copper and pink corset trench, a mossy lace trench, and a foil hued cropped cape trench. Take your pick, darlings! For added shape, Christopher Bailey mixed in cropped, color-blocked bombers with rounded shoulders and a sublime very berry, double cotton sateen cocoon coat. The takeaway: More is more. As for the accessories, it's all about the "Blaze" purse for Spring, a peppy mash-up between a doctor's bag and a teeny tiny gym carryall. Those, of course, will be available in a rainbow of hues to accent your new trench-a-day regime. Color us happy!