Graduate Fashion Week 2012: International Fashion Show

 

Esmod Berlin

Opening with designer Sonja Dissberger and a rather dark edge with messy, horror, wrestling masks worn with yellow, black and royal blue in clashing, scratchy prints and wide open coats. Accessorised with bold yellow clogs that mixed modern themes with a traditional edge. 
Next to show was Karen Jessen who showed slick layered leather wear that transformed into shredded denim and jersey, plaited dresses revealing flesh and trailing beautiful fringing the intricate designs looking almost tribal.

Karen Jessen

Another designer showing for Esmod Berlin was Eun-Jung Lee with clinical rounded outwear with oversized beautiful gold accessories and structured fabrics.

Instituto Marangoni Milan opened the show with impressive designs from Zhu Liyuanzi who opened with mock croc and plastic red, marbleised scales. The cityscape prints in red and black satin were accessorised with ‘Prada’ sunglasses, structured shoes and vintage cameras.

Zhu Liyuanzi

Nicoletta Saracco went for a dazzling display of glitter fabrics in slick, clean jackets with rounded shoulders and added the extra bedazzlement with festival style spangling head dresses. The last designer for this university, Sopfia Colastante, blew minds with incredible plastic structures including a light up dress, a dress pumping water through pipes in patterns and an animatronics dress which featured square scales on stalks that retracted as the model reached the end of the catwalk. The final piece was a plastic bubble skirt filled with dry ice which raised applause from the audience.

Sopfia Colastante

Amsterdam Fashion Institute showed Ayla Van Maarschalkerweerd first with a collection of hippy chic beaded tops, sheer maxi skirts and bright, wonderful tones of yellow, orange and blue. The second collection from Yvonne Kwok featured a feminine matador theme with laced leather panels embellished with studs and mixed with nude, neons and a range of exciting ruffles and mixed layers and lengths.

Yvonne Kwok

Designer Tess Van Zalinge brought contour to the catwalk with high waisted Aztec printed knickers and lace bras in peacock tones of purple and green as well as offering maxi skirts and beautiful prints.

Tess Van Zalinge

Instituto Marangoni Paris opened with Justine Chomette’s men’s waterfall PVC jackets, 70’s style pussybow shirts and scratchy prints in black and grey. Kim Eunhung went for a dynamic palette of deep red and black with added flashes of peach in sheer pieces with exposed seams as a feature. Leather straps crossed the body as did double wrapped belts that seemed almost military. Maria Martimo created a ‘his and hers’ collection starting with white flowing gowns featuring twisted, structured strands of leather on the breast and eyelash lace cap sleeves while tailoring was decidedly androgynous in white and red colour block cut into sharp, pointed panels.

Maria Martimo

The final designer was Li Wan who created interesting menswear using dainty floral prints with loose, stiff tops and cropped trousers in corduroy and velvet making good use of deep reds and grey.

The show was completely varied throughout and provided a great platform for the international designers.