People in the office have been banging on about the FTSE 100 falling faster than a pair of baggy hip hop jeans sans belt. Banks being bailed by governments and it has gotten to the point where most people with an ounce of social awareness shouldn't really ignore. Excepting of course the group of dreamers that are fashion designers. Or perhaps they are aware but instead of confirming, they'd rather react. So for S/S 09 we have a SLEW of back-to-nature designs. If the stuff that man has built up is crumbling down, why not turn to the stuff that was there in the first place?
So from Swash, otherwise known as the designers of Susie's favourite pair of shorts (no mean feat I tell you....) took old botanical drawings as a starting point and applied their own distinct way of illustration of flora and fauna to the loose and silky shapes that are their staple. Whilst the illustrations combined with watercolour washes are pretty-pretty, the shapes stop them from becoming too cloying. The printed rucksack is a prime example of this and yes I had to stop myself from exclaiming to Sarah from Swash that they have created THE rucksack that I'd want to carry on a day to day basis.
However, it's not all pretty flowers and English gardens because at Junko Shimada, a show which alas I sadly could not attend but the PR was nice enough to send me a DVD, creatures from under the sea and planets from outer space collide in prints on dresses. It's a mix Shimada that should have come off looking ridiculous but actually you too end up chanting with the designer "I feel love" (the title of the show). A usual Shimada trait; the outstanding footwear, this time featuring ballet pumps with plexiglass heels and cutesy crocheted sockettes. Celluloid head pieces, vinyl leggings are then coupled with the soft and flowing chiffon and organza pieces. There's a saturn planet and a lobster on a pair of satin shorts.... it should be REALLY wrong but somehow it works and Junko's space/sea world is looking far more appealing than reality.
I had several conversations about my love of Disney when I was in Paris and in times like these, if clothes are escaping into those Disney dream realms then likewise I'm happy to escape to in my Disney DVD collection preferably wearing some Junko or some Swash.
Source: http://stylebubble.typepad.com/style_bubble/2008/10/the-fashion-esc.html