Inbar Spector AW12: Escapism, a Glittering Fantasy

I knew only a little about Inbar Spector upon entering her SS12 show in September but was blown away by the amazing construction of her creations. My expectations were high for the new collection and it didn't disappoint, as her eye for structure and texture goes from strength to strength. Even now as I look at the photographs on my screen I'm desperate to run my hands through the luscious fabrics in their extravagantly stacked layers.
Whilst a nightmarish feel was present in the SS12 collection the new season one is inspired by notions of escapism for an ethereal fairytale feel and also looks to manga, dreams and circus clowns for inspiration.
How does one begin to describe the exquisite, breathtaking and construction of these wildly romantic and otherworldly garments? They really are feats of amazing fabric manipulation by a highly talented and imaginative craftsperson and designer.
The textures strongly juxtapose each other in the collection. We have the soft, fluffy and light clouds of fabric against harder but ornate perforated faux leather. Then the humble pinstripe is elegantly draped for a fantastical take on workwear.
As well as black and white I saw my favourite soft pastel tones of peach, mint, lavender and pink. The metallic golds glistened wonderfully and I was completely enthralled by the metallic pinks as they shimmered down the catwalk. Many leathers sat close to the skin, and Inbar wants to deal with the question of "where does skin end and body start?"
The clothes are wonderfully complimented with intricately braided and structured hairstyles, reflecting the complexity of the clothes in an almost animalistic manner. One cannot help but be drawn also to the bejewelled headpieces created in collaboration with Lara Jensen. I was delighted to take a close up look at these at the Blow PR press day last week and so will be taking a better look in another blog post.
This is the most wonderful and dreamy collection and I already want to incorporate more metallics and tulle in my own wardrobe. Inbar Spector is the most magnificent young design talent and I can't wait to see more of her work and am intrigued by her future plans for menswear and accessories lines!