L'Wren Scott RTW Spring 2014: Japanese Kimonos Inspire Modern Pieces
In a mostly wearable, but totally funky collection shown during London Fashion Week, L'Wren Scott clashed modern designs with details from the Far East. Feminine frocks with a traditional Japanese twist worked in some extraordinary, and surprisingly functional ways. Rich with inspiration from obi belts, kimonos and hanging wisteria, the collection was a display of Scott's love for the artistic culture of Japan, brought to life through silk, embroidery and tailoring.
Hanging wisteria is commonplace in Japan, found mostly in religious shrines, and often depicted on traditional arts and textiles. Using this motif, Scott draws upon not only the falling patterns and delicateness of the small flower, but its purple hues as well. Dresses and suits dazzle in the eye-popping color, while wisteria patterns drizzle over parasols and sparkle as golden embellishments on kimono dresses and tailored leather suits.
The collection, rich in reds, white, and purples, flirts with the line between traditional and modern, making some dresses perfectly office worthy and others better suited for your best friend's annual Halloween bash. The use of multiple layers and obi belts lend a unique touch of Japanese beauty to otherwise modern pieces, while still keeping the outfit chic. Trying to keep kimono-style dresses contemporary, however, seems a little easier said than done—the collection even includes an all-white dress I'm sure I've seen worn during traditional weddings at Meiji Shrine in Tokyo.
And while the collection gave a cultural nod to the Japanese, it wasn't all traditional. Bondage ropes on platform wedges wound up and around the model's ankles, looping and knotting in intricate designs before ending in a frayed fringe. Despite the fact that it was a highly ambitious collection, it was well executed, ending in a few beautifully blended east-meets-west pieces that embodied Japanese modernity.
