Antonio Berardi London Fashion Week S/S 2013

To describe Antonio Berardi’s S2013 collection shown at this years London fashion week in one brief sentence, I would say “Cocktail meets sportswear” but of course it is so much more than just that. Once again he did what he does best: creating hard-tailored, figure-hugging fashion for the woman who is aware of her sexuality and sensuality. This time he put the emphasis on reinterpreting luxury sportswear.

The show started out very athletic with patched-together dresses in smart geometric cuts combined with transparent mesh jackets. As the 35-pieces runway show proceeded, Berardi showed exaggerated peplum constructions standing away form the body, as well as transparent gowns with visible lingerie straps beneath, all in all seeming quite futuristic.

Towards the end finally the cocktail dresses entered the show, partly keeping the geometric signature cut of the line but going more towards simpler, straighter silhouettes. In this part of the collection the female body shapes were highlighted through the detailed patterns, contrasting to the pieces shown at the beginning where the cuts themselves played the primary role.

Color wise, the eye-catcher of the show were definitely the flashes of holographic and carbon fiber pieces in neon pink, cerulean blue and yellow appearing throughout the show.

Other than that, the patchwork palette consists of white, deep blue, black and onyx but the contrasting effects are mainly achieved through the use of various different garments.

Even though Antonio Berardi is mostly renowned for pushing boundaries when it comes to the design of cocktail dresses and ball gowns, the stars of this show were definitely the complex structured double – breasted jackets with the extended peplums.

This year Antonio Berardi again managed to impress with an innovative and at the same time fun collection, making woman already anticipate the warmer season. No surprise though considering his career: while studying at the prestigious Central Martins College of Art and Design in London, the English designer with Sicilian roots worked as John Galliano’s assistant. The collection he created in his final year as a student attracted the attention of many influential London buyer including Liberty and A La Mode and with their financial backing he managed to create his very own label being successful ever since.