Designer A-Z

Marios Schwab

Spring/Summer 2012

By Carrie Gorman

Marios Schwab was inspired by chiaroscuro for his spring summer show, which anyone who paid attention in art class will recall as the contrast between light and dark.

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The invitation showed a net draped over a figure on a beach under the harsh sun, casting criss-cross shadows and depth. It was this picture-postcard shot that was realised in sartorial form in this collection. Thick woven fabric mapped across panels of slim, fitted dresses, black gauze layered over white gauze, black over red, green over blue to create the desired shimmer and shadow effect of light and dark.

This being Schwab there were many neat, striking dresses on show, shown in a modern Veronica Lake way with side-sweep blown-out hair. To finish, Schwab draped a muted plastic gown over a sparkling crystal bodice which gave a wonderful effect of trying to fight for the light’s attention. Crystals were also used in panels across woven bodices in a great collaboration with Swarovski.