Bright and Beautiful: Antoni and Alison SS13

Antoni and Alison opened this September's London Fashion Week with a bright and breezy SS13 collection complete with a marching band to wake us all up! The design duo of Antoni Burakowski and Alison Roberts are celebrating an incredible 25 years of creating clothes together, but decided to look forward with innovative prints in this collection, New Work.
They treat each piece like a painting, working to create a balanced effect, taking into consideration the colours and shapes and creating dresses which are 1/2 Antoni and 1/2 Alison. The hand created prints used a variety of mediums including charcoal smudges contrasted with shape pencil lines and, my personal favourite, 'necessary sparkle and gold leaf'. They used 'every colour we own', seen in a dazzling rainbow of colour ready for sunnier days or to cheer up dull ones. I loved all the vivid shades together and also the fresh mints and pinks.
The pieces were so vivacious and playful but also had a certain sophistication which could be translated from office to party or even a red carpet. My favourite motifs were rows of dots playfully placed in a manner reminiscent of buttons and dainty little floral prints which made me think of ornate pottery.
I loved Antoni and Alison's AW12 collection and liked this one even more. Their tactile collages are so clever and joyful, always making me smile- for what a shame it would be to go throughout life without 'necessary sparkle'.

Fields of Florals: Antoni and Alison SS12

At London Fashion Week Antoni and Alison blew me away with their innovative collage print techniques in a triumphant show of Models walking up and down in dresses. Their SS12 designs also feature a similarly wonderful aesthetic and I love these fun and imaginative takes on florals!
In these dresses we can see a traditional canvas from the 40s tea dress to the classic wrap style, but what is truly intriguing is the wonderful layered collage effect in the fabric.
There is something so incredibly joyful about Antoni Burakowski and Alison Roberts' creative way of tactile layering which appeals to one's artistic side. It makes you want to dig out your craft supplies, grab some scissors and glue and spend an afternoon creating a scrapbook full of loveliness.
The last dress has the feel of porcelain in the delicate print, which is then broken up with bright and bold larger flowers. Then the yellow dandelion flowers on the first silk dress are again so cheerful, delightfully paired with a wispy ballerina effect skirt for a whimsical style perfect for daydreaming in the countryside. 

Lookbook images kindly provided by Village Press.

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.