Dion Lee fused sportswear and futurism in his sleek spring summer 2013 show at London Fashion Week.
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The Australian wunderkind, showing in London for the second time, held the crowd of international editors on the edges of their benches as they leaned in for closer looks at his accomplished creations.
The first thing to catch their eyes? That would be the leather—lots of it. Appearing in forensically fitted pencil skirts and jackets, it featured slashed-and-plaited panels that created vertebrae-like patterns down the backs of thighs and spines.
But there was simplicity too, as in the purity of the white, midriff-baring tracksuit that opened the show (yup, midriffs: it's practically a Lee-girl requirement to show it off). Colour filtered into the opening series of white looks in the form of transparent orange panels. It built through periwinkle dresses into more blazers, this time with sea-creature swirls and folded-leather peplums.
Dresses—excellent, wearable dresses—were mostly high-necked, with split, neoprene bodice panels that brought to mind lungs and respiration. Has London given the designer room to breathe?
‘There’s always a consciousness of the body that runs through the collections,’ he told us backstage. ‘Particularly with this one, there was that kind of layering and transparency and building those shapes underneath the torso. But it was also looking at parallels between technology and the human race.’
Technology, the human race and some mighty fine leather jackets—come back next season, Dion. You’re welcome in London anytime.
