Michael van der Ham SS12: an elegant collage

The split colour trousers of Michael van der Ham's SS12 collection reminded me a little of slick racing driver uniforms. The more I look at the garments the more I think there's a slight sporty feel to them despite their prettiness. There's also an emphasis on strong shoulder silhouettes in the sleeves and smart tailoring. The collection is very feminine but has a little boyishness about it.
The best tickets (inducing ticket envy) featured haphazard strips of dazzling patterns stuck on the white invitation in a collage so that each one was unique, giving an idea of things to come. The classic van der Ham manner of cramming many contrasting elements into a single garment in a fascinating way still stands, but he also took this approach and turned it into prints for another patchwork effect.
He is such an exciting young talent with his unique approach. This new collection has a more sleek feel to it, complimented with gorgeous T-bar Louboutins showcasing van der Ham patterns. The hair and make up were quite subtle, though a little wild at the eyebrows, except for the pops of colour through glitter on the eyelids.
Fiery reds and oranges broke out of the colour palette along with peach-pinks and hints of sunshine yellow. The shades of aqua blue in varying textures were gorgeous in what is fast becoming my favourite colour of the new season. I cannot wait for the new season's colours to hit the rails! I was particularly taken with the shimmering brocades and this dress girl even found herself somewhat besotted with a couple of pairs of trousers in the fabric.