Just when we thought we'd got our heads around the spring/summer '13 trends (delicate white, bold geometrics, florals-aplenty — you know the score), Christopher Kane lands us with this delectably sinister goth fest. The London Fashion Week heavyweight has unveiled his first-ever pre-fall collection, and frankly, it's confused our fashion brain.
Gone is spring's cheery optimism, replaced by a collection that's dark, brooding, and kind of awesome. Apparently, Mr Kane was inspired by Hammer horror films, which goes some way to explain the twisted mood. He even gets literal with the odd Dracula t-shirt and slashed skirt (presumably detailed by an obliging werewolf). The collection is wrapped up in a lurid palette of deep purple, brown, black, and electric blue, with a liberal dose of leather and heavy velvet.
Of course, the designer is a horror buff, so this fascination with the macabre is nothing new. The candy-coloured creations on the designer's spring/summer '13 runway nodded to Frankenstein, and for autumn/winter '12, coffin linings were the big influence. But this debut pre-fall collection takes Kane's pleasingly creepy aesthetic to a whole new level. Maybe since he jacked in the Versus gig, he's been able to spend some Q.T. geeking out on even more vintage horror flicks? It's a theory.
And if all this gut-wrenching horror is too much for you, look on the bright side: The collection won't hit stores until May, and we'll probably all be fed up of spring's cheerfulness by then.
Photos courtesy of Christopher Kane
Gone is spring's cheery optimism, replaced by a collection that's dark, brooding, and kind of awesome. Apparently, Mr Kane was inspired by Hammer horror films, which goes some way to explain the twisted mood. He even gets literal with the odd Dracula t-shirt and slashed skirt (presumably detailed by an obliging werewolf). The collection is wrapped up in a lurid palette of deep purple, brown, black, and electric blue, with a liberal dose of leather and heavy velvet.
Of course, the designer is a horror buff, so this fascination with the macabre is nothing new. The candy-coloured creations on the designer's spring/summer '13 runway nodded to Frankenstein, and for autumn/winter '12, coffin linings were the big influence. But this debut pre-fall collection takes Kane's pleasingly creepy aesthetic to a whole new level. Maybe since he jacked in the Versus gig, he's been able to spend some Q.T. geeking out on even more vintage horror flicks? It's a theory.
And if all this gut-wrenching horror is too much for you, look on the bright side: The collection won't hit stores until May, and we'll probably all be fed up of spring's cheerfulness by then.
Photos courtesy of Christopher Kane
