Amelia’s Magazine | Dans La Vie: London Fashion Week S/S 2013 Catwalk Review

Dans La Vie S/S 2013 by Jenny Robins
Dans La Vie S/S 2013 by Jenny Robins.

And so for London Fashion Week S/S 2013, which I am covering in a reduced capacity this season due to Snarfle demands: he will intermittently be joining me at the shows and no doubt vocalising his opinions. Our first show of Friday was Dans La Vie by Rira Sugawara at Fashion Scout, and I was pleased to find that Snarfle was perky and very interested in his first front row experience, particularly the flashing lights of the photographers at the end of the catwalk.

Dans La Vie S/S 2013 by Gareth A Hopkins
Dans La Vie S/S 2013 by Gareth A Hopkins.

Dans La Vie SS 2013 September 2012-photo by Amelia Gregory
Dans La Vie SS 2013 September 2012-photo by Amelia Gregory
Dans La Vie SS 2013 September 2012-photo by Amelia Gregory
Dans La Vie SS 2013 September 2012-photo by Amelia Gregory
Dans La Vie S/S 2013 by Jenny Robins
Dans La Vie S/S 2013 by Jenny Robins
Dans La Vie S/S 2013 by Jenny Robins.

For her Moving Print Bodies collection the Japanese designer used her signature plasticised printed fabrics to create a range of dramatic silhouettes in unusual colour combinations of mossy greens, pastel blues, mustard, blood red and teal. Gingham and python happily co-existed with gigantic bows and pictorial prints inspired by traditional Japanese gods. Waists were a big feature, cinched in with wide belts and exaggerated with tulip skirts and widened shoulders. The theme went somewhat haywire with the appearance of printed mesh catsuits that had panels across crotch and thighs in the style of Pam Hogg.

Dans La Vie SS 2013 September 2012-photo by Amelia Gregory
Dans La Vie SS 2013 September 2012-photo by Amelia Gregory
Dans La Vie SS 2013 September 2012-photo by Amelia Gregory
Dans La Vie S/S 2013. All photography by Amelia Gregory.

Fantastical make up was inspired by the patterns of the fabric…. blackened eyes topped with chequerboard foreheads or square blocks smeared across cheek and chins. For the finale Sugawara sent out my favourite look: a searing azure blue swing skirted dress with bodice frills spiked over the face in great fans like the frilled neck of a lizard.

Dans La Vie SS 2013 September 2012-photo by Amelia Gregory
Dans La Vie S/S 2013 by Deborah Moon
Dans La Vie S/S 2013 by Deborah Moon.

Dans La Vie has a very strong signature look but this season if felt a bit as if Sugawara was trying to shoehorn in as many of the prevailing trends as possible. The result? Individual pieces worked well but the collection as a whole came across as a bit of a style mish mash. Still, Snarfle gave it the thumbs up, so who am I to judge? Watch the catwalk show here:

Categories ,Dans La Vie, ,Deborah Moon, ,Fashion Scout, ,Gareth A Hopkins, ,London Fashion Week, ,Moving Print Bodies, ,Pam Hogg, ,Rira Sugawara, ,S/S 2013, ,Snarfle

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