Harnesses, gypsies, and midriff, oh my! Three looks from the Rag & Bone spring/summer 2011 runway. Photos: FirstVIEW
DESIGNER: David Neville and Marcus Wainwright of Rag & Bone
INSPIRATION: Continued military influences (like their stellar autumn/winter 2010 collection) meets parachuting gypsies
TOP LOOKS: White broderie anglaise suit (above), macrame top with full chiffon skirt (above, right), metallic combat tailcoat
ACCESSORIES: Awesome lace-up booties (called the Alexandra) and high strappy sandals in black and white
WHO WAS THERE: Editors galore, no celebs. (Halle Berry was rumoured to be attending but didn't make it.)
WHAT WE THOUGHT: There were high hopes for the Rag & Bone boys after their autumn/winter 2010 collection was so on point. (Editors are still talking about it eight months later.) But whereas harness straps seemed to have punk rock symbolism for autumn, for spring it felt a bit like the models were going to jump out of a plane and parachute their way down (however stylishly) to the ground.
Jean Yu collaborated on harness bras, and however cool those were it wasn't enough of a selling point. (For example, girls with even a hint of a chest would not be able to wear them unless they wanted to look like extras in a salacious hip-hop video.)
Straps and harnesses aside, there were some lovely mixed print chiffon skirts and dresses that were more wearable and free-spirited, which is what we've come to expect from this talented duo.