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London This page: Alexandra Martynova in one of Tom Ford’s opening looks; a look from Mary Katrantzou’s Spring 2014 runway show (inset). > Opposite page, clockwise from top left: London at night; Peter Pilotto uses crinoline, a stiff fabric with a weft of horse-hair, in his Spring 2014 collection; a skirt with a sheer window at Erdem; Mary Katrantzou’s Spring 2014 runway; another look from Edrem; a model sticks out her tongue (inset).
viewer changed. Perhaps that was why she referenced South American Optical artists Carlos Cruz-Diez and Jesús Rafael Soto as inspiration. Herrera’s composition here—like Soto, Cruz-Diaz, and even the Pointillist Georges Seurat—allowed the viewer’s eye to fuse colors and patterns optically. Take, for example, Lindsey Wixson’s gorgeously gauzy, ankle-length dress. The aquamarine and white don’t ever bleed into each other but rather create that buzzing kinetic illusion through layers of organza and strategic line perspective. In case that piece wasn’t enough of a retina-bending ride, out came a high-collar column in burnt orange that bore an eerie resemblance to Saul Bass’ Vertigo poster. (The Kim Novak buns on the models didn’t go unnoticed either.) But whether you fell into that Duchamp-ian hypnosis—albeit lessened— or not didn’t matter. Certainly, it wasn’t just Hitchcock’s camera techniques that made Vertigo one of his best films. As for Herrera, it wasn’t simply her expert execution of these optical illusions. It was, rather, her interpretation of art and aesthetic. She also paired those punch-drunk images down with top-notch tailoring and refined silhouettes to create a rather sophisticated, cinematic collection. And Karlie Kloss’ trompe-l’œil mock-shoulder evening gown was the standout where all the threads came together. > Tom Ford seems to imagine reality to be rather different than it is. But with his collections, he sluices away any lines between fantasy and actuality, eliminating the rote and crafting a dreamy universe dripping with excess and glamour. In short, his clothes are bold, fierce, sexy, and alive. Fittingly, Ford himself is all of these things, and out for spring came the closest thing to a full-blown portrayal of superfluous beauty. Opening the show was a stunning wide-shoulder leather blazer, so thick it looked like armor. Later the looks turned to glass: Josephine Skriver’s sparkling tesserae micro sheath conjured a Tiffany mosaic. Then came a fetishistic use of lace in the form of thigh-high lace-ups and sheer sheaths. Too busy? Absolutely not. After all, we’re the ones living inside Ford’s world, and the filigree here was symphonic. In fact, when you look at an outfit like that, you can’t help but wonder if the designer’s brain is wired in a similar manner. > Prada What makes a Prada show so compelling—aside from, of course, the clothes—is its vibrant ability to tell a story. For quite some time, Miuccia Prada has expertly braided together