Pre-Fall 2013: collections round-up

Lanvin

Now well into his 10th year at Lanvin, Albar Elbaz took us into the wild with an opulent animalistic pre-fall collection. There was no shortage of leopard and zebra motifs amongst plush pelts, lustrous leathers and chunky jewellery

Words: Jessica Klingelfuss

Lanvin

Now well into his 10th year at Lanvin, Albar Elbaz took us into the wild with an opulent animalistic pre-fall collection. There was no shortage of leopard and zebra motifs amongst plush pelts, lustrous leathers and chunky jewellery

Christian Dior

The prodigious Raf Simons followed up his inaugural collections for the house with a phenomenal mid-season offering - not that Dior's new darling needed to do any more to win the affections of a completely besotted industry. The Belgian designer infused modernist elements into classic silhouettes with slouchy yet completely formal pantsuits and asymmetrical hemlines on cocktail dresses galore

Acne

Creative director Jonny Johansson found an unlikely source of inspiration in the self-portraits of eccentric Swedish artist and playwright, August Strindberg. In case the oversized heavy boiled wool coats and somber-toned shearling anoraks were beginning to overwhelm, Johansson reined it all in with watercolour florals and delicate laces

Givenchy

Cowhide is best left to rodeo cowboys and country singers. Unless of course, you are Riccardo Tisci. The designer harked back to his youth in 1970s Italy for inspiration, referencing fashion designer Walter Albini and architect Giò Ponti along the way. Ruffles, lace mosaics and transparent organza balanced out an otherwise masculine sensibility

Theysken's Theory

Whether intentionally or not, Oliver Theyksens somehow ignited our desire to hop our way back to the days of grunge-chic girls à la 1990s Kate Moss. Think slouchy pantsuits, trench skirts, stonewashed denim, plaid shirts, and effortlessly cool basics to slink about in

Christopher Kane

Christopher Kane's debut pre-fall collection is a fright-fest - in the best possible way. Inspired by the iconic horror films of UK-based Hammer studios, he opted for dark, heavy fabrics like velvet and furs, while injecting some romance into the sci-fi with floral patterns threaded throughout

Louis Vuitton

Women's studio director Julie de Libran aimed to kill with a medley of blunt-bobbed vixens smouldering in barely-there micro skirts, vampy lace ensembles and mod silhouettes. And it's no mystery - she turned to François Truffaut's sinister 1968 revenge film 'The Bride Wore Black' as a springboard for her gothic femme fatales

Alexander Wang

Not long after it was announced he had snared one of fashion’s most coveted roles (as Balenciaga’s new creative director), Alexander Wang unveiled a decidedly confident pre-fall offering for his own label. Although the usual suspects are present - luxe slouchwear pieces in a monochrome palette - the collection hinted unusually at European influences with chic tailored jackets, Donegal tweeds and leather lapels. The American designer deliberately added a blurriness and ambiguity to the collection, using pointillist patterns and pixellated ombré throughout

Balenciaga

The house of Balenciaga sat at a crossroads without a creative director at its helm to steer the Pre-fall collection. Nicolas Ghesquière’s Midas touch may have been tellingly absent, but that’s not to say the in-house design team pulled together anything less than an inspired tribute to founder Cristóbal Balenciaga in the interim. The result? A groovy sixties throwback of paisley silks, zippered vests and cropped pants to shake your tail feather in

Gucci

In a demi-season heavily dominated by masculine overtones, creative director Frida Giannini's sumptuously feminine collection was a delicate breath of fresh air. She opted for primarily hourglass silhouettes with ribbed sweaters, ostrich pencil skirts and belted leopard print coats, all underpinned by a thread of fifties elegance

Proenza Schouler

Inspired by a trip to Fiji, Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez moved away from typically dark autumnal hues, playing instead with refreshing cerulean and blazing gold-oranges that evoked crystal clear beaches and tropical sunsets. The Proenza boys rounded off the graphic collection closer to their urban New York home with bold monotone brushstroke prints, bias-cut skirts and colour-blocked jumpers

Céline

The almost impossibly unerring Phoebe Philo has once again graced us with another standout collection. From accordion-pleated leather midi-skirts to impeccably tailored pantsuits, she deftly colonises Puritan-chic territory with crisp-white collar shirts and brass buckles. If Céline were a religion, we would arguably be the most devoted of its fanatical followers.

Bottega Veneta

Pre-fall collections are traditionally more commercial than their February and September counterparts. To that end, Tomas Maier delivered a carefully considered and wearable collection framed with Asian references. Variations of the trench coat found a pleasant place amongst self-belting robes, kimono sleeves and printed Japanese motifs. Most striking was the canny winter palette peppered with blushing pinks and dusty charcoals

Calvin Klein Collection

At Calvin Klein, less is always more, thanks to Francisco Costa's artful way with minimalism. The ultra-restrained designer chose matte leather, caramel shearling, haircalf and laminated snakeskin as his materials. 'It wasn't thematic,' he noted. 'I wanted to keep it classic. The sense of luxury was really important.'

Ports 1961

Defined and precise - this was Fiona Cibani's principal ethos for pre-fall. And she achieved exactly that with colour-blocked peplum tops, razor-sharp tailoring and classic cashmere turtlenecks. An ombré abstract floral print provided a striking deviation from an elegant palette of burgundy, citrine, pastel pink and sapphire

Reed Krakoff

Reed Krakoff didn't have to venture too far to find a reference point for his sports-inspired collection, instead diving into his own closet to borrow silhouettes for a reinvention of the urban uniform. Think plush mustard v-neck mink vests and snakeskin motifs on pony hair, heeled off with perforated Dandy loafers

Saint Laurent

Hedi Slimane lensed Los Angeles It-girl and musician muse Sky Ferreira for Saint Laurent’s pre-fall offering, further skyrocketing the French fashion house along an edgy new trajectory. There’s a defiant rock and roll vibe to the monochromatic collection, from leather motorcycle jackets and dresses that tease with keyhole necklines. It’s no wonder the cult designer scooped up ‘Best Rebranding’ in the Wallpaper* Design Awards this year

Kenzo

Carol Lim and Humberto Leon delved into the archives of the brand, riffing on founder Kenzo Takada's 1970s Jungle Jap collections. Citing the juxtaposition of the modern world and sky as inspiration for this season's theme, their celestial offering had us floating on cloud nine. The pair presented a collection focused on prints with dreamy hand-painted cloud, trompe l'oeils and muted floral motifs, all smartly grounded with two-tone cap-toe ankle boots.

Valentino

Pier Paolo Piccioli and Maria Grazia Chiuri demonstrated nothing less than laser-focused discipline across the whopping 70 looks they presented for pre-fall. The pair seemed intent on bringing the house of Valentino into the 21st century with a collection that oozed futurism in the sharp, elegant silhouettes and materials like shiny lacquered leather. Nonetheless they never strayed too far from the femininity synonymous with the master of couture, softening the collection with structured ruffled hems, jacquard and shaggy fur collars.

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