SAMUEL MERCURE AW12

Creating an all-black collection is a daunting prospect for many designers, so daunting in fact that its rarely seen ...Enter Samuel Mercure...

Mercure doesn't rely on the seasons colour trends to carry his work...Instead he uses various shades of black in different textures to create an impressive and surprisingly diverse collection that auto-focuses attention onto the cut and shape of the clothes above everything else. There're some seriously good silhouettes going on here, nothing too extravagant, but just different enough to remain interesting. It works.

The layering of textures, along with the streamlined cuts and use of different materials within each piece creates an industrial feel that seems uniform yet varied all at once. The differing lengths of the pieces allows the wearer to layer up too...All those different textures and layers make for a seriously hot outfit...Who said Black had to be boring??

Fur panelling in the arms, back and chest and legs of certain pieces also give an extra edge that prevents them from becoming too similar to the previous one...I love the use of matte next to gloss, its a definite winner!

 

Check out these stunning images from the AW12 campaign, as well as Mercures official website! samuelmercure.com

GARETH PUGH AW12

Gareth Pugh is one of my all time favourite designers of all time. Every season he manages to blow me away a little bit more, to the point where I don't think It's possible for him to impress me any-more...Well that was last season.

This season, he's blown me away. Again.

I've now come to expect the best from Pugh: A dark, visceral and futuristic collection that pulls no punches...This time round though he is progressive as ever, but with a somewhat regressive slant...

Many of the looks remind me of hunter-gather/expedition clothing...the boot covers and furs that would be necessary in extreme cold are given a futuristic look in silvers and blacks, both matte and glossy. How someone can make a somewhat primitive look so futuristic is beyond me...pure genius!

The models looked like dystopic, yet decadent warrior-ettes, stalking down the catwalk...

The movement of the fur, along with the exaggerated shapes of the hem lines, arms, shoulders and collars are stunning...It always surprises me to see these softer, fluid elements in a Pugh collection...his trademark architectural cuts and stiff shapes work so well alongside the fur and tassels, he ought to use them outside his AW collections!

I will admit though...a couple of the pieces are VERY similar to Mcqueen pieces from a couple of seasons ago, both in shape and materials used. I'll leave you to decide which!

Also, be sure to check out PAR's other Pugh posts here and here!