September 29, 2019 |
Down under the gilded glory of the Ponte Alexandre 3rd we went, and into another world. This was a Noir Kei Ninomiya show to remember. The stark white catwalk cut through a dark vaulted tunnel as one extraordinary outfit followed another. The show started with a series of brides in extravagant cascades of virginal, white tulle frills. One dress bristled with pearl pin-heads, another one was covered in tiers of net pom-poms. Every girl wore a unique chapeau made from living plants, the work of regular Noir collaborator Azuma Makoto.
There were remarkable moss skullcaps grass fern headdresses and clusters of cacti fashioned into hats. As the show developed, this virginal purity was disrupted by S&M leather harnesses and by nature itself. Several model’s faces were entirely obliterated by moss and petal masks, as if they’d been reclaimed by nature and become a strange plant/human hybrid. One white ballooning dress featured sharp cactus spikes (fashion as protection) others looked like spiderweb clusters (fashion to ensnare). Nothing was quite what it seemed. Heavy bondage straps cinched a net column to create the silhouette of a classic ball gown. The show ended with snowflake assemblage dresses gently clinking down the catwalk. It was yet another mesmerising fashion moment from designer, Noir Kei Ninomiya.
Photographs by Jason-Lloyd Evans.
