Fading Feathers - Blown away by Mark Fast S/S 2011

Something quite spectacular is in the air when a collection manages to not only astound you with its immense beauty, but also touch you with the inspiration that took place before the designs were even put to paper. I didn't need to read the Press Release for the Mark Fast S/S 2011 catwalk show - his story was so well told that it felt like I was there at the inception of his initial idea, like when you get to the plot twist in a film and they play the scenes backwards to the beginning to say "See! You should have known he was the killer all along!" No foreshadowing, no fancy rain forest scenes, no birds chirping in the background - Just the clothes. (Please don't get me wrong in this I love elaborate shows too!)  

I knew his story began with fantastical colourful birds in a forest of lush and brilliant foliage as models (of varying sizes, including negative 7.... !) passed in gorgeous shades of turquoise, yellow, orange and peach; and then something happened to change this (I did read the press release later and found out that it was acid rain...) You could literally see the colours drain slowly down the pieces of the collection as the models passed and each became more black/white and more stark. Masses of fringe fell from the arms and middles and bottoms of many of his signature tight body hugging creations that prompted such dazzling movement I couldn't look away. I have included a few blurry pictures on here as I think it helps to capture the haze of movement on the wearer. One dress had fringing placed heavily on the "She Flower ; )" area of the dress which initially I thought questionable but it was layered by colour and when it shifted as the model walked it had remarkable effect. 

              

     


Signature Mark Fast holes abound as it looked like the acid rain almost disintegrated (though neatly and precisely...) the fabric away. Crystals (designed by Mark Fast for Swarovski) formed on the dresses in defiance of the chemical change and all that remained were birds of black and white (with the red soles of the collaborative platform shoe wonderfullness of Fast and Christian Louboutin).

                    

The final garment was a long white floor length gown with Fast style open knit along the spine and arms and with long fringe falling from just below the bottom as well as hanging from the forearm. The lights were lowered as the model walked and she stood for a long time at the end of the catwalk. Defiant.You can strip her of all of the colour and vibrancy that can be seen with the naked eye, but you can't take away the natural beauty and strength that is inside of a woman - even without the fancy things... I liked this message. I love fashion (and obviously so does Mark Fast!) but it is interesting to see that when you strip it all away (be it with acid rain or a recession or whatever life throws your way) that all you are left with at the end of the day is yourself, so you better be damn happy with who you are and be ready to take on the world in spite of it all!

                            

I don't think I breathed for the shows entire duration as I felt light headed stumbling out into the mid-day London sun. I was not expecting to attend the show so was dressed rather like a tramp. Half of my hair had fallen out, my eye make-up was running in the heat, I was wearing my favourite old Adidas trainers for goodness sake - hardly attire fit for the front row at LFW! This made me smile however as I bounced along to the tube. I may have looked like something from the "what not to wear" section of Heat magazine - but I felt literally on top of the world.

Thanks Mr Fast! I am cheers-ing you with a Kokanee and Clam as we speak! (Sorry folks, you have to be from the Canadian Prairies to understand....)

Links: http://www.markfast.net/home