For A/W '12, the Christian Blanken girl is no shrinking violet. Daywear looks consisted of angular, clean and sharp tailoring in a muted palette of blacks, greys and ivories. Minimalism was key, with beautifully square-cut mini dresses adding a feminine touch to the otherwise gamine collection of austere trouser suits and funnel necked tunics. Proving that less is more, spontaneous splashes of red and leather wildly permeated the clean cut, industrial severity that lent itself to the rest of the sporty collection.

His trademark shearling jacket returned this season, an easy and chic addition to the autumn/winter looks. Dresses that slip on and off with the simplicity of a humble t-shirt brought a softer focus to eveningwear, with elegant draping and ruching creating a loose fitting silhouette of fluid silk. The looks were finished with Armenta military inspired belts and rather precarious Terry De Havilland python stilettos that were rather more Essex than exotic and left several models teetering on the brink of ass-over-tit.

Setting to redefine the modern, functional wardrobe for the contemporary woman, Blanken’s collection is no game-changer, but it has worth. Amongst the all the experimentation and eccentricity of Fashion Week, Blanken presented a perfectly wearable collection that’s, quite frankly, a breath of fresh air.

Posted on February 23, 2012 at 11:38:34 by Liz Connor