On|Off London Day #3: Bernard Chandran, Sado’

Bernard Chandran A/W 09-10Bernard Chandran is renowned as the master of the silhouette. He effortlessly plays with contours and structure, turning the impossible into the possible, and the beautiful into the incredible. With some of the biggest stars desperate to get their manicured paws on a Chandran thread, it is little wonder that his On|Off show was packed down to the last seat.

Last season, Chandran’s signature ‘umbrella’ silhouette, that sees a contoured dress become sculpturally voluminous at the hips, was spotted on a host of A-listers across both sides of the Atlantic (Estelle for one.) This season, Chandran continues to play with this off-beat style, adding to it a multitude of gorgeous prints, shapely shoulders and innovative silhouettes.

Of the new shapes, the most fascinating was the circular pattern technique used to create dresses, sleeves and bodices that appeared to all flow into one. These circular forms created extravagant stand-up and stand out collars that seemed to transform the models into peacocks.

Shapely hips and peplums continued to enhance body-con dresses, while sleeves alternated between incredibly straight fits and draped kimonos. Shoulders were often quite square and boxy, yet somehow, Chandran managed to transform these squared off shapes into incredibly feminine lines.

The prints featured were simply divine, echoing the prints trend that has dominated past shows this week. Bold paint strokes, marbling-style water colours and purple and black ’storm’ prints, which were reminiscent of a thunderous sky line, filled the runway. The colour palette was vast and varied, with each silhouette style developing its own identity. Black was also dominant, however it was accented by a rainbow of hues and shining metallics.

As with other shows, embellishments were prevalent. These included an incredible studded back dress, a tasselled red frock, and an abundance of sequins. Detailing was key, with fine pleats, feathers and oversized buttons.

There were also a vast array of of fabrics used. Ranging from the season’s top trend of felted wool to neoprene, plastic, silk and chiffon, this was a collection that seemed to spill out all of Chandran’s imagination.

Having shown for the seventh time this season, Chandran’s latest line surpasses all his previous shows. Confirming that the best is still to come.

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