Okay, so calling a collection a car crash isn’t the best thing to say, but if anyone can turn it into a positive, it’s got to be Christopher Kane. He filled the catwalk with an abundance of dresses sprayed with car paint, cable ties and fringing reminiscent of car wash brushes.
The aptly named ‘Crash and Repair’ SS16 show not only reflected that of an actual car crash, but showed the struggles Kane and his sister, and creative partner, Tammy, faced when their mother passed away just before the AW15 show earlier this year.
Sheer patchwork shift dresses, jagged, cut-out baggy trousers (and who could forget the matching kaleidoscope shoes), brought the image of the designer and his sister picking up the pieces and coming out stronger than ever. With splashes of acid rainbow colours throughout, it was clear Kane was back to his old self.
Wet look material seemed to be a prominent feature in the collection, shown in the form of leathery vinyl looking snake print cigarette pants and a coat to match. Alongside this, multi-coloured cable ties were used to gather silk dresses and skirts, and added a much needed edge to the black silk dresses and skirts, as well as being tied into chokers and bracelets.
Even the models hairstyles seemed to resemble the crash and repair theme with uneven fringes and greased up centre partings put into messy buns and ponytails, accompanied by minimalist makeup with neutral hues and a strong brow.
After dabbling in darker colours in previous seasons, Kane is back with a bright, bold collection, complete with a finale dress suggestive of a pop art meets Mondrian dress kind of feel, with the use of primary colours, abstract shapes and block lining; only with a little more fringing and a lot more Christopher Kane.