Good seats are vital at a Pringle of Scotland show in order to marvel at the brand's micro detailing. Which is why the brand's choice of an intimate, salon-style presentation at Claridge's fit like a glove, or in Pringle's case, a silk vest. On the runway Massimo Nicosia continued to build upon the label's long legacy of knitwear innovation. Last season, he employed architect and material scientist Richard Beckett to bring its fabrications up to speed. This season, he looked back to move forward, citing Pablo Picasso's 'The Bathers' as his inspiration, prompting a largely aqua and white colour palette and the show's overall, diaphanous translucency. By now we're all converts of Pringle's impressively wearable 3D printing techniques and experimentation with open weave knits, so this season Nicosia pushed on with new silhouettes - largely cut (or knitted) with a sporty slinkiness. Racer-back rib knit dresses led the charge as origami paillettes and beaded herringbone patterns finished the season's wrap and box-pleated skirts. Another new element that had us all craning our necks was the house's 'smock embroidery' on silk chiffon, which created textural knitwear that looked almost celluloid spongy, while traditional argyle prints were reworked as diamond cut sequins, creating luminous, three-dimensional prisms. Bugle beads similarly added a tactile crunch to honeycomb patterns, as buttery leather balanced out this cool, high-tech mix.
Photography: Jason Lloyd-Evans
