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Saturday 17 September 2011

Ones to Watch: Malene Oddershede Bach



Photography by Magdalene Golembiewska

The selection of VFS ‘Ones to Watch’ was brought to a show stopping finish with Danish designer Malene Oddershede Bach’s colour popping collection. The set of designers were always set to cause a stir, and after clawing my way to a seat I sat back to watch the atmosphere thicken. When let in, people literally ran for seats, filling the room so much that they had to extend the front row for the mass of VIP’s and fashion heavyweights. As onlookers took test shots from their cameras, you could hear excited murmurs spread behind you as people guessed or bragged about which ‘names to know’ they had seen. “Who’s here…” swept behind me from ear to ear like Chinese whispers.

The moment they had waited for was here and Malene Oddershede Bach was certainly no disappointment. Coinciding with the launch of her own label, Malene’s collection came to the runway and demonstrated what this talented designer was capable of. The label aims to be defined by a focus on texture, form, layering, unusual cuts, bright colours and leather pieces and this collection brought to life everything the designer had promised. From the moment the music played out its up-tempo beats, the runway was awash with sharp bold colour. Only when looking past the vivid palette of shocking pink, cyan blue, and acid yellow could you appreciate the fabrics that glistened with intense graphic prints, that at times appeared like snake skin. While featuring familiar shapes like tailored suits and preppy collared shirts, dresses were folded and manipulated to make way for the designer's inspiration of fulfillment and the sensation of love, accounting for missing sleeves at times and the taking away from pieces. “I like something to be not necessarily what you thought it was." Malene told me backstage. Each colour represented something such as the yellow being symbolic of the scales of the butterfly. Floaty asymmetric dresses, bubble hems, knit dresses and head to toe colour suits were elements she used to interact with the psychedelic. 


Text: Samantha Farr