Hailed as the 'King of Fashion' in his homeland of Malaysia, the exoticism of his heritage has always shone through in Bernard Chandran's work. This season, his work, entitled Venus in the Daytime, hopes to emulate not a gentle, angelic goddess but a ferocious female not to be spurned.
Indeed strong looks and soft finishes make up the body of his SS15 collection, which saw models saunter down the runway to an explicit-laden track which emphasised Chandran's vision of a fiery woman.
With a show that seemed to incorporate two collections, Chandran's opening differed greatly from its conclusion.
Puffy silhouette were soon replaced by sleek material and long Grecian style gowns. A refreshing use of linen was contrasted against transparent panels in dresses and trousers while white faded to black early on, only to create a blank palette before exuberant yellow, orange and red flooded in jumpsuits and dresses with linear designs.
Bold colours gave way to nudes and swarming Goddess prints which added a secondary element to Chandran's work. This was no doubt a metaphor for the unexpectedness that oozes from confident and creative women.
Medallions, a tribute to Chandran's Hinduism, decorated necks and adorned handbags and added traditionalism to modernity. Retaining the femininity and opulence of the Chandran brand, exterior corset detailing and mesh-effect fabric were key components of the design process, along with gentle pleating and tiered hemlines.
By Clarissa Waldron (@thisisclarissa)