BOXES + RECTANGLES
New York: Jeremy Laing explored his personal passions for the F/W 12 season — poetry, art, architecture and the work of Japanese designer Yohji Yamamoto — resulting in an utterly modern, yet completely wearable collection that juxtaposed structure and fluidity. Broad, boxy shapes and straight lines worked like building blocks, layered upon each other in tonal and textural combinations. A greyscale palette emphasized the sublime surfaces, a range of innovative materials, from lustrous to crinkly to glossy to wooly, while bleach-printing created a luminous dabbled effect on plush velvet. A complex balance of masculine and feminine played out in each look; sheer tunics peeked out from beneath sharp-shouldered vests and jackets, and tough leather leggings were paired with a shimmering “black iris” floral for a bit of softness. Cropped, funnel neck pullovers in firm, molded fabrics felt especially new, a directional alternative to conventional jackets and sweaters. —Anna Jane Davis
Silhouette: Broad + boxy / Structured + straight / Lean + layered
Color: Black / White / Gunmetal / Grey-mauve / Dove grey / Mid-tone grey
Key Items: Silk or chiffon calf-length tunic / Cropped, square-shouldered pullover / Pieced leather pants / Structured column dress
Materials: Silk charmeuse / Chiffon / “Denim velvet” / Mohair / Lustrous wool / Antiqued leather / Velvet / “Kelp cotton”
Print + Pattern: Monochrome “Black lilies” print / Textural bleach-prints
Details + Trim: Full back zips / Pocket chains / Contrast piping / Leather piecing / Stand collars + funnel necks / Slit panels
Accessories + Footwear: Black wedge booties / Triple-wrapped leather belt
