March 1, 2018 |
We’re calling it art rock. Why? Because we loved the Deep Purple Child in Time ten minute sound track that played out the entire collection. While that nods to the early seventies this collection had all the grace and wonder perhaps of an earlier era, a leanness that hinted at the 1920s and 30s. The “doodled” freehand prints, which made us think, Poiret, Miro-esque, were cleverly dispatched and dispersed, etched though the whole lot. Dries Van Noten is the master of intricate print we know but this collection was all about top notch colour and awesome combinations that bathed us in his glory of gold, acid green and eau de nil. Russets and Delft biro blues. And then the frothiest feathers sliced down and around an ivory dress, incised onto black too dancing down the catwalk in the opulent surroundings of the Hotel de Ville, Cruella de Ville, “if I’d known it was this cold, darling, I’d have grabbed two more puppies and made mittens.” Fripperies.
We like a finely controlled drama. This was phoenix rising, feathers flying, asymmetric touches curling and the decadence offset with graphic check tailored pantsuits. A tracksuit stopped us in our tracks and was handled with oohing volume, and a swathe of orange like the Dries answer to street. His satin drawstring parkas the alternative sportswear to go faster nights. Drop satin sleeves and ‘scribble’ printed boots added lush to this world of magical realism. And as the lyrics sang out Sweet child in time/You’ll see the line/The line that’s drawn between/ Good and bad, we knew this was the good stuff.
Photographs by Jason Lloyd Evans
