ANNA SUI FALL 2013

Well by gum that didn't last long!

Not two weeks have passed since the sounds of hissing and booing travelled the mediterranean ocean as exuberant outpouring of gush from rolling news about SPF 50 outbreaks and scantilly clad british ladies frolicking into the sea at Brighton in little more than fluro nylon wire. Safe to say whilst in Spain, BBC news was banned to avoid weather angst.

Glastonbury is done, visit to Nerja is done and the British air is now moist and disappointing. Being nostalgic of autumnal hues already, it's time to sound the A/W 2013 klaxon. I can almost feel the crochet capes. All that early 2013 revision shalt finally be put into rousing practise, but along with that comes yet more season straddling for when new SS 14 collections seep into the thought process.

High levels of execution, innate eccentricity and gentle geometrics make Anna Sui A/W 2013 my first point of call for inspiriation for the upcoming dark chill-fest.

Say howdy to the tightly focussed and rigorous collection of burnt orange geometrics, high decibel print amalgamations and crocheted, seaweed shaded knit dresses.

Saturating factors of late 50's/early 60's Paris, Blair Warldorf Constance Billard school uniform and Nouvelle Vague, Anna Sui oh so heavy heartedly aids us all into chilly transition with neat effect volumous furs in jewelled tones, go-go girl Pringle-esque knee high schoolgirl socks and woven lapel lined blazers. This without even mentioning the dazzling power ties and THAT choreographed joie de vivre introduction.

Colour palettes veered into the ever shyed away combinations of cerise pink and plum, developing into psychadelic tweeds of royal blue and tiled dartmouth green.

Music was coveted by main muse of runway music, Frederic Sanchez, who used inkeeping punchy 60's french pop, met with optical illusion garments, wool berets, medieval cross pendants and the best use of a tie on a woman I may have ever came across. Charming geometric prints, boucle and block colour hosiery played a constant lead role, alongside the winter ready textiles which made for an engrossing show report.

This confident collection was approached with sporadic and tired generalisations of "trashy models", "lack of imagination and visionary approach" and "tacky and disappointing in line with Sui's previous collections". In contrast, I was under the blanket of opinion that seemingly enjoyed the cohesive approach and silmultaneous simplicity.

Whispers of Godard & Gainsbourg flowed around the room as freely as the spherical pussybow prints. After flirting with the 70's in previous collections, as much as such a niche is relied on in multiple outputs, the inspiration behind the collection doesn't stop it from reaching the dizzying heights of being accepted as a eyewatering & gluttenous use of mood imagery, rich with creativity, no matter the muse.

Whether is were the space-age sunglasses, figure filling knit dresses, decadent wide bell sleeves, mid thigh hemlines, chevroned cigarette trousers or the insanely pretty hosiery, it has helped pop ideas into the brain for the AW I've looked forward to the most for an age.