It seems long ago now, but it was only last month that Maria Francesca Pepe presented her A/W11 collection at VFS. Her collection caused quite a stir, featuring bondage style headwear and a monochrome palette of angelic versus demonic garments in delicate chiffon. Maria entitled her A/W11 collection Fortuna; Fortuna was a roman Goddess who possessed the power over mankind’s fate. It was quite fitting that her nymph like creatures were positioned about the presentation room like roman statues. This theme was carried through into her look book.
Pandora Lennard of Tank magazine, who has styled for Maria before, has styled the A/W11 look book. The back drop for the gothic photo shoot was our very own catwalk/presentation space in the Freemasons Hall, a place in itself full of mystery. With heavy white light beaming out from behind the mystic creature, it seems as though she has emerged from somewhere unknown to mankind. This angelic nymph shows her evil side however, from white delicate chiffon adorned with gold and glittering jewellery, to black leather and demonic head pieces; Maria’s juxtaposed collection represents this Goddess Fortuna who dealt fortune out in extremes; either very good or very bad.
Other stunning imagery of Maria’s collection to emerge is that produced by Ellen Rogers. Maria told VFS’s blogger Charlotte Summers how she wanted to create a “magical and enchanting fairytale” with this collection. Taken on the day of Maria’s presentation Ellen has created this fairytale story but in a dark almost twisted way. Utilising the endless eerie rooms of our London fashion week venue the Freemasons Hall, the location adds that spine tingling feel to photos of satanic creatures and saintly nymphs. The imagery has been perfectly edited to enhance this feeling as though we have stumbled across some kind of cult and been allowed to observe.
Already stocked across the globe and with endless praise from the press, we all anticipate her next collection; if only September weren’t so far away.
Louisa Kilburn