Photography by Magdalena Golembiewska |
Photography by Lucas Seidenfaden |
Greeted by graphic pop art prints as the
first model emerged – this show was set to be bold! Bright flamboyant garments
flitted past with a mixture of weighty waterproofs and light loose fabrics. On closer
inspection the first dress that appeared was printed with a linear collage of
three separate images. The fractured face of the Madonna peered out over hints
of mustard and green, almost camouflaged in this graphic design.
As the show continued we were treated the
rest of Dans La Vie’s prints. Like the designs, the show was splintered in to
different sections, displaying all four versions. Initially influenced by the
aftermath of the terrible earthquakes in Japan, the collection also drew from
the pop stars Madonna, Lady Gaga, Rihanna and Amy Winehouse. It was music from these artists that accompanied
the four parts of the show. Each print gave the appearance of fragmentation
that had been pieced back together again, in order to create a whole. With hues
of coral, berry, yellow and green, the prints consisted of a vast array of
imagery, such as cherub and rose motifs that featured throughout.
This fruity collection incorporated waterproof
rubberised plastic, such as the traditional tailored mac that buckled in the
model with its thick glossy belt. Updated of course, with a patchwork of
colours. Other than the one pieces, all other uses of the raincoat fabric were
focused on the waist down. Teamed with cropped mac tops and Madonna embossed
t-shirts, the only break from the vivid styles came with small splashes of
black. One such break in the spectrum of color was found in a Victorian like
bell skirt that flashed netting as the material gathered at the naval.
The collision of striking shades and
fractured imagery that this collection offered gave a fresh and youthful finish
to a wide selection of shapes and silhouettes. The graphic quality of these
pieces breathed life into complex and well structured garments.
Text: Samantha Farr