Models walking up and down in dresses: Antoni and Alison AW12

Bright and early on the first day of London Fashion Week I carefully teetered across the cobbles of Somerset House to join the eagerly waiting queue for Antoni and Alison's AW12/13 collection, Models walking up and down in dresses. It was a show I enthusiastically anticipated as during my early months of discovering the wonderful world of high fashion the duo's designs were some of the first I fell in love with.
The AW12 silhouette was a simple shift and the styling was minimal, giving the parading models a uniform feel with their dark crops and pointed court shoes. The magic in this collection was all about the innovative prints.
I have a huge collection of craft materials I've amassed over the years. I love looking at all the pretty things, and feeling the varying textures. It seems Antoni Burakowski and Alison Roberts share this joy too. They have created the most incredible layered collages and modern technology has allowed the duo's creativity to be transferred on to fabric.
Traditional clothing features were smartly suggested in the prints- the details of a sharp belted dress drawn in with pen, folds to the effect of a ruffled bib or the glamourous long gown harking to the classic black tie shirt and jacket. The designs have an almost haphazard feel as if created in the heat of a creative moment, and here and there I can spot the shining silver of a staple.
Looking at these pictures still I feel like a magpie drawn to the sewing box embellishments from rows of ric rac and lace trims to a little silk rose and a fluffy purple feather. Then there are shooting stars, food stuffs and what looks like children's toy blocks, capturing the raw, fun spirit of the collection.
Amongst the vivid colours sat crumpled paper bags juxtaposed by glitter, sparkly gems and dazzling golden sequins. All this creates a tactile urge to reach out and touch the textures of a treasure trove of materials, and yet it all comes down to the base canvas of a dress. I really love Antoni and Alison's amazing, artistic take on the notions of form and texture, creating the most intriguing and beautiful prints as well as a magnificent catwalk spectacle of models walking up and down in dresses.