This season marks the 15th anniversary of Matthew Williamson. Since the label’s inception – Williamson’s debut 1997 Electric Angels collection, featuring Kate Moss, Jade Jagger, and Helena Christensen – the designer has grown into an international fashion brand, coveted the world over for his sense of colour, glamour, and rich bohemian beauty.
For spring/summer ‘13, Matthew Williamson goes back to his design roots and rediscovers his love of India. The religious Holi Festival, also known as The Festival of Colour, which is celebrated to welcome spring triggers his imagination. The Indian festival – a playful street party where carnival-goers throw brightly coloured powder and paints over one another – taps into the very essence of this brand, which was founded on a formula of hyper colour, exoticism, high summer, and adventure.
In addition to gowns that look like powdered paints have literally exploded over them, there are other ideas at play. The highly decorative Hamsa hand, a universal sign of protection that depicts the open right palm has been meticulously hand drawn and worked into an intricate print over chiffon blouses. Williamson also explored the work of New York-based artist, Shane McAdams, specifically his ‘Synthetic Landscape’ series, which manifests in kaleidoscopic canvases created from ballpoint pens, oil and resin. The designer skillfully weaves his own magical scenes of Kerala and Tibet into McAdams’s framework.
Dresses exude a relaxed elegance with draped lengths of fabric in silk chiffon and jersey offering modern shapes reminiscent of traditional sari styles, while more structured silhouettes take inspiration from the architectural curves of the Taj Mahal. Jackets are neatly tailored and offset by Maharaja detailing, paired with clean cigarette pants in standout iconic prints. Loose fit pyjama pants are tailored for relaxed summer evenings and shirts are reworked with flattering slim fit sleeves and cool billowing details.
After years of collaborating with some of the best shoe designers in the world, from Manolo Blahnik, to Charlotte Olympia and Laurence Dacade, looking ahead, what better way to step forward into the next chapter than with the launch of Matthew Williamson shoes. The 12-piece, Italian manufactured line-up, under license with GMI USA, has been designed in collaboration with new shoe talent, Joanne Stoker. The line launches this season and boasts an array of flats, mid-height heels, and vertiginous platforms delivered in multiple colours, prints, textures, and some, further enhanced with ethnic detailing and embellishment.
The collection will arrive in store and online in March.