Receiving a designer’s latest Lookbook, is always exciting but is even more so on this occasion, as the designer in question, Masha Ma, is amongst an array of new talent who will be showing with us for her debut solo show at London Fashion Week this season. I use the word ‘new’ loosely as Masha is certainly not new to receiving recognition when it comes to her design talent: After graduating from Central Saint Martins in 2008 with a MA in Women’s wear design, Masha was selected amid her peers to showcase her graduate collection at London Fashion Week, which was then bought by Saville Row’s trendy B Store. Following this, the Chinese-born designer has successfully grabbed the attention of press worldwide, having had her work featured in leading style publications such as Vogue, Harpers Bazaar, Pop and French Playboy.
Looking at the Autumn Winter 2010/11 collection, you can tell that at the Masha Ma label, shape and cut is the most important factor of design: Once stating that she always has an ever changing silhouette in mind, Masha is extremely skilled at reforming and modifying the traditional female figure. Her latest collection reflects a classic, tailored and sophisticated style but with an experimental edge, by using safety pins to creatively construct decorative features on the shoulders & necklines of dresses and the front of trouser legs. For the Lookbook, the assortment of garments including sheer blouses, figure hugging pencil skirts and structured jackets with asymmetric panels and lapels are all beautifully arranged and styled by Andrej Skok and shot by notable fashion photographer John Lindquist.
Sarah Barlow