The wild and delightful things came out to play at Jasper Conran this season, where the designer was his usual masterful self. With an eye for design that just does not diminish, AW set the leafy path to statement style success with many strong and memorable motifs. Shuffling through the rusty foliage Conran abided by the muted tones of the mid-winter forest to create a number of demure set-piece ensembles.
The painstaking attention owed to less being more made the whole assortment decidedly chic, spliced with characteristic quirks that ranged from leafy ponyskin skirt-suits to wide brim fedora’s that concealed eyes enigmatically. The wilderness way holds a strong connection to the name Conran, evoking the archetypal Anglophile good life of the gentry and such sort, while Jasper himself also mentioned post-show that who couldn’t get the image of horticultural heroine Bunny Mellon “secateurs in hand” out of his head. It was a blossoming aesthetic this season and our admiration for his steadfast craftsmanship simply grew and grew.
Drawing on other reference points that included the mismatching of duo-tone prints inspired by a selection of 19th century ukiyo-e prints by Kunisada was an interesting approach to pattern but wasn’t as explicit as the other elements so faded just a little. Perhaps this was entirely intentional however, and the light kimono-esque that made a divinely brief appearance was more than enough to satisfy our appetite for more risks by far.
Aside from all of that, Conran’s exchange with the body was notably superlative and if that proves anything, it’s certainly fair to say the thorough-bred designer is, as always, completely attuned with complementing the modern female form.
by Liam Feltham
Images courtesy of Style.com