« Constrained rebellion. Dangerous undercurrents. Unusual prettiness. Sweetness tainted. » These are the words design duo Kirk  Pickersgill and Stephen Wong used to describe Greta Constantine Fall/Winter 2012. « We’re presenting our own vision of femininity, » explained Pickersgill. « It’s tougher, darker, and in some ways menacing. While the silhouettes are more severe in some respects, a prettiness runs through the collection. » If you’ve been paying attention to the latest collections coming out of Milan and Paris over the past few weeks, you’ll find that their vision is shared by many of the top international fashion houses for FW12.

Expanding outside of jersey is a great move by Pickersgill and Wong. Knits, leather accents (cinched dresses), sequin, and metallic tile create a tension between stiffness and softness for Greta Constantine Femme Fatale. Saturated jewel tones ranging from African violet, ruby, and emerald compliment vibrant magenta and coral, against soft creams and ominous jet blacks.  There was a sense of balance about this collection that clearly extended beyond the palette. Nobody does draping better than Pickersgill and Wong and FW12 once again proves this. From scarves to sweaters, with a little help from Dylan Uscher, the slouchy knits were incredible. Definite must-haves that will work with just about everything in your wardrobe. These severe silhouettes however, are what make the collection. We see the brilliance of one of Canada’s best design teams in fine form. Now if only they could do something about their emails landing in our spam boxes.

Backstage Photos: Spiro Mandylor, Olympus Digital Photography

Runway Gallery

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Backstage Gallery

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