Marios Schwab Goes Broguing

Marios Schwab explored “the traditional craft of broguing” for his autumn winter 2011 collection. Broguing is the decorative perforations on, you’ve guessed it, brogues. But there wasn’t a flat shoe in sight.

Instead it was to be found delicately embroidered along the necklines of rich burgundy leather dresses and outlining the shape of bust and boning on bandeau tops. Craftsmanship was at the heart of every look with intricate cut-outs, western belts used as straps and the formation of pearls across fabric to flatter the silhouette. Marios always adds a hefty dose of rock and roll and it’s questionable if anyone else could toughen up pearls in quite the same way.

Deep teal, red and mustard looked rich on boucle wool coats with leather sleeves and cropped leather trousers. He even brought back the humble puffer dress that he first introduced back in AW07 in almost identical form; same wide-neck, same skater skirt but this time around slightly more streamlined. Perhaps we weren’t ready for the puffer dress back then, but after the winter we’ve had, we are now. Marios also worked it in to shawl collared jackets worn with long black skirts.

His finale gowns of long sheer layers under a short pencil dress and gently draped mustard floorlength was red carpet done the London way. The Lady with added rock.