MONIQUE LHUILLIER, renowned for flawless floor-sweeping gowns, gave her avid followers a run for their money today - sending out a collection for spring/summer 2012 seemingly all but designed to shock. Where just last season the vibe was all-out opulence and grown-up glamour, the blasting electro-pop soundtrack kicking off the show was an immediate sign that we were in for a surprise.
A distinct departure from her usual embellished gossamer gowns to say the least, this season Lhuillier offered up taut cocktail dresses with shocks of leather and lace – a peculiar, not altogether unpleasant, aesthetic fusion of Tom Ford’s greatest Gucci hits and sexed-up Sixties Mary Quant - something that will no doubt appeal to a younger audience. “With women more into fitness and healthy lifestyles these days,” the designer explained, “I compliment their physique with intricate seaming to outline the body.” Something of a winning ethos to say the least, with svelte, health-conscious celebrities seated front row including, Mandy Moore, LeAnn Rimes, Rose McGowan and Jamie Sigler.
Like many of the collections we’ve been seeing in New York, Lhuillier focused on bright, bold colour for spring and sleek body-conscious cuts. An intriguing and unique design feature throughout, though, were the graphic black intersecting panels, and leather and lace inserts, added to the form-fitting garb. Of course, Lhuillier didn’t leave her fans entirely in the dark, she placated her die-hard fans by throwing in some traditional fare - including off-the-shoulder, twisted tulle cocktail dresses in vivid cyan, magenta and cardamom yellow. When the floor-length ball gowns finally arrived, colour-blocking gave way to pattern, an edgy paint-splatter print in chalk-white - that contrasted interestingly with the more traditional silhouettes.
SEE THE MONIQUE LHUILLIER SHOW ARCHIVE