For S/S’12 Jason Wu let loose ‒ a little, mind – from his prim and proper Park Avenue princess aesthetic (Think Gossip Girl’s Blair Waldorf and SATC’s Charlotte York/MacDougal/Goldenblatt.) to showcase a collection that had the dynamism of Pop Art infused into the couture shapes of the 1950s. Sounds like a whole lot of ball, no?
The first part of the show had his Park Avenue princess indulging in a subtle bit of subversion: upper-thigh-baring tailored shorts, parkas and edgy abstract prints. The fitted-shirts that paired the shorts had intricately beaded collars which gave off an “electrocuted” look. The parkas were made with a weightless nylon that “moves like chiffon”‒ elevating the drab outerwear staple to a whole new level of polish – and provided a cool alternative to the predictable evening shawl. The print – conceived in collaboration with the graffiti artist KAWS ‒ was that of a floating petal that at close view revealed the artist’s signature “hands” motif which suggested how many hands played a part in creating (!) the flowing skirts, dresses, shorts, cigarette pants and gauzy blouses on which they manifested.
It was when the evening wear started to glide down the runway that the collection actually dazzled. Dresses with sharply articulated waistline – embellished with feathers and Swarovski crystals ‒ were offset with rippling peplums and full skirts, adding just the right amount of drama.
Although it’s with ball gowns that Wu wows, big time. Brightly coloured tiers of Balenciaga-esque cascading silk gazar swept across the runway ‒ but it was neither imposing nor historical that usually results in when gowns go “big”.
Wu’s offering, arguably, encapsulated the trends of this calendar beautifully, and mere mortals like us could do half-badly by taking a few cues from it for Spring/Summer 2012. The peplums, a runaway trend for next season, give the illusion of the much-desired hourglass figure and no one did them as seductively as Wu. The shorter-in-the-front, longer-in-the-back (ah, mullet!) hemline on skirts and dresses looks positively flirty but graceful, too. Rolling in from Autumn/Winter 2011 is the colour-blocking trend, which Wu did very delicately and hence did not come across as offensive to the eyes as they can be. Featherweight, sporty outerwear have been ubiquitous in the S/S’12 runway but nowhere did they look as chic as they did at Wu’s. So many shining pointers for the upcoming season in just one collection… No wonder Michelle Obama trusts his vision so much!