First Timers - Puig

4 WWD WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2013
Meadham Kirchhoff Roksanda Ilincic Huishan Zhang
LONDON COLLECTIONS
Fall 2013
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE LAST OF THE LONDON SHOWS INCLUDED A SINISTER EDGE AT MEADHAM KIRCHHOFF,
AN ULTRAFEMININE FEEL AT ROKSANDA ILLINCIC AND SHARP, GEOMETRIC LINES AT HUISHAN ZHANG.
Meadham Kirchhoff: The collection
was an intersection of “The
Turn of the Screw,” “Fanny
and Alexander” and the pope’s
wardrobe. And while it had
a sinister edge, it was one of
the best outings so far from
Edward Meadham and Benjamin
Kirchhoff. The show began
innocently enough, with jaunty
sailor skirt suits adorned
with shiny black panels, nubby
sweater jackets and elegant
coats. But it quickly turned
dark in the form of black PVC
jackets and coats, and shiny
black ruffles on skirts, tops and
capes — with models wearing
sooty veils over their faces. There
were also white oversize shirts
with piecrust collars, and prim,
embroidered dresses inspired
by priests’ vestments. Among the
more wearable pieces were a
black velvet dress with a dramatic
white lace collar, and a gown
printed with a ballerina motif and
black lace edging at the bottom.
Roksanda Ilincic: Roksanda Ilincic
banished the conventional fall
color palette and made a range
of pinks, plums and greens
the focus of her ultrafeminine
collection. “I wanted to have
a breath of spring fresh air
and break with tradition,” she
said. The opening look was a
cable-knit dress with a diamond
pattern in a soft blush pink.
That was followed by a parade
of dresses in a terrific mix of
textures, fabrics and colors,
culminating in one the color of
mint chocolate-chip ice cream.
Ilincic paired a PVC coat
in calamine-lotion pink with
a chenille midi-length skirt
of the same hue, while a baby
pink sheath dress had diamond
panels at the waist for womanly
definition and a neon orange
fold-down collar. Long-haired
fur shawls in lurid green and
orange were a nice styling
touch, as were the witchy shoes
from her collaboration with
high-street retailer Aldo.
Huishan Zhang: Huishan Zhang’s
sparkling, dreamy collection
looked as if it had been made
by hand and was among the
strongest outings so far in
London this season. The
designer took his cues from
Mao Tse-tung’s famous boxy
four-pocket jacket and from the
sharp, geometric lines of Piet
Mondrian paintings.
And while A-line dresses
had a futuristic-by-way-ofthe-Sixties
feel, the finishes
were either soft or shiny. Some
designs featured delicate
needle felting on top of black or
white lace, while others shone
with tiny cornflower blue or
gunmetal crystal stripes and
panels. “I used the Mao shapes
to give power back to women.
They’re leader suits — but with
femininity,” said the young
Chinese designer.
Pringle of Scotland: In a light and
modern take on its signature
knits, Pringle’s fall collection was
a cool fusion of classic technique
and knitwear innovation. The
design team worked in shades
of white, ivory, camel and
cornflower blue, imparting
lightness to the clothes. There
was a tinge of space-age Sixties
style to the spare structure of a
neat camel jacket and skirt and
the soft simplicity of the white
knits — the best of the bunch —
done in tubular stitching.
Simone Rocha: A charming ode
to her elders, Simone Rocha’s