The things designers do with crystals is pretty incredible. Swarovski, the 160-year-old Austrian family-run company, spotlights their talents each season with Atelier Swarovski, a jewelry collection comprised of pieces created by some of the world’s most exciting designers in fashion, costumes, and architecture.
LONDON–How would Mark Fast follow up his fringe spectacular from last season? With the introduction of new materials and volume, it seems. The young Canadian designer kicked things off with a cloudy-day-gray coat with massive, football pad-like shoulders, showcasing his new use of Merino wool alongside all the elastane.
He tried leather for the first time too, in mac-style dresses with hoods, drawstring waists, back-cutouts and extra-long straitjacket sleeves. More S&M than sensual, they did little to accentuate his models’ curves in the mode of his signature spiderweb knit dresses.
Julia Restoin Roitfeld sat front row at Mark Fast’s Spring 2011 runway show in London, but it wasn’t just because she’s a fan. Indeed, the art director/Lancome spokesmodel has been consulting for Fast’s diffusion line Faster. This lookbook features the first collection Roitfeld worked on.
We see Roitfeld’s influence in the graffiti background, and maybe in the season’s signature color: plum. But in truth, Fast’s clothes don’t really change much season upon season, particularly not his basics line. And that’s okay. Because it’s better to be known for something than nothing at all. Click through to browse the lookbook.
Fringe has played a big role at the London shows, and knitwear king Mark Fast got in on the fun for Spring 2011.
The Canadian born designer, whose body-con spider web dresses have made quite the impression on the fashion industry, only tweaked his signature look slightly for spring, adding in some extravagant fringe–made from horsehair?–more than a few crystals–provided by Swarovski, natch–and a bit of patent leather thrown in for good measure.
Was it revolutionary? Certainly not. But Fast is establishing a signature look. For a young designer, sometimes that’s more important than shocking the audience each season.
