A year ago, Christopher Kane may well have spawned a major London trend, one he spelled out unequivocally on a sweatshirt: flower.
He’s moved on to rope and sprays of tulle for a dressy collection with a restrained approach to embellishment, against the grain of what’s parading on other runways. Both were ideas the Scottish designer originally explored during his master’s studies at Central Saint Martins under the late professor Louise Wilson, to whom he dedicated his spring show. Rope figured as an embroidered motif wrapping pleated slip dresses, dangling off sheer tops or trimming knitted lady suits with a whiff of Rue Cambon. His explosions of tulle, spilling out of a tight peplum jacket or jutting out of stiff, upturned cones on thick viscose cocktail dresses, had the mark of Wilson’s lessons: pushing boundaries.
Pleats, which featured in that influential floral show of yore, reappeared as panels anchored by metal bars, the ends left drifting over lustrous dresses. These were striking, and ended the show on a strong note. Wilson would be proud.