ASGER JUEL LARSEN AW12

The Autumn/Winter collection from designer Asger Juel Larsen is a dystopic and sophisticated dream...Where the sophisticated man is flung far into the future; where clothing becomes militarised, industrial yet very neo-chic. Somehow Larsen has managed to combine the Russian aristocrat staples of peacoats and soviet fur hats, with  the oversized knits and relaxed cuts of the Russian peasent.

It's not often I see a full collection from a designer and think ''I need it all'' But with this collection I really did! Every look has a slightly different feel to it, with noticeable influences throughout...There's something very East London in some of the outfits, especially the red velvet ensemble. Whereas there is a definite Japanese streetstyle in the dropcrotch trousers and zipped tops. This mixture of urban cultural influences with classic Russian design is a definite winner.

I love Larsens use of shape throughout this collection...The subtle exaggeration of the shoulders in the jackets and excess fabric in the pants gives a futuristic feel that is BANG on trend for AW12...The use of buttery leather, velvet and wool also gives a much needed softer element...Without the rich textures I think the collection would be too harsh!

Check out these images from the runway show as well as the official website! asgerjuellarsen.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!

FUTURE/GALAXY/WARRIOR

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FUTURE/GALAXY

FUTURE/GALAXY by poisonantidoterepeat featuring a cotton jacket

AMATO SS12

The Amato Spring/Summer 2012 Couture collection is nothing short of bizarre, extravagant and down right amazing!

The combination of luxurious gowns in decadent materials, with cyborg like accessories is stunning. The mix is unlike anything I've ever come across before, but it definitely works.

The organza gowns, many with lace detailing, where ethereal...moving with each model as she walked. Uber feminine and chic, they would have been stunning as a stand alone collection in themselves: however with the inclusion of rigid metal and plastic neck braces, the juxtaposition created took the collection to new heights!

Again, the colour palette was very feminine, in pastels and nudes...all of which where illuminated with the metal and neon lighting of the masks, giving the pieces an otherworldly atmosphere.

The cut of each dress created some gasp-inducing silhouettes, some of which look to be somewhat Mcqueen inspired... I love the 'It shouldn't work-but it does' combination of extremely feminine materials/colours with the harsh cuts and exaggerated shoulders.

Here are my favourite pieces from the collection. You can see the rest of the gowns (as well as the previous work of Furne One, Amato's creative director) over at the official website amatohautecouture.com

MANISH ARORA FOR PACO RABANNE SS12

Mr Arora has once again hit the ball outta the park with his Spring/summer collection for Paco Rabanne. Not content with his own highly successful self titled collections, Arora was recently appointed as head designer for Rabannes ready-to-wear collections also.

Its good to see that Arora has brought his own energetic approach to design into the his designs for Rabanne, combining his signature futuristic cuts and use of metallic materials, with their signature streamlined dresses. The end results is undoubtedly a labour of love, and you can definitely see both of the fashion giants in the collection.

I think that the inclusion of Arora is a much needed step as Rabanne always seem to play It safe, with a lot of their collections blending into one another with nothing in particular standing out from the rest. A ready-to-wear collection is obviously supposed to be marketable...but their is a fine line between marketable and boring, a line which I feel Rabanne was in danger of crossing.

However just In the nick of time, Arora has swept in, creating a truly eyegasmic collection that has just the right amount of 'marketability' and avant-garde aspects to Its design that will not only sell, but will set tongues wagging for some time.

The collection was a futuristic triumph...dresses constructed from metallic reptile skin, HUGE foil collars, Treacy-esque headwear...The models where seductive, dangerous and fiercely dominant of the runway. The OTT collars reminded me of the Viktor and Rolf SS09 collection...a past favourite! There was plenty of unusual silhouettes and alien-like cuts to the dresses too which completely changed the figures of the models, something that again is much needed in the Rabanne household...

Anyway, here are my favourites from the collection...You can of course view the entire collection over at pacorabanne.com