Structural, Digital Fanfare ... Mary Kantranzou SS2011

By all means, Mary Kantranzou could have easily garnered a steady fan base among Malaysian fashionistas with her constantly graphic and well-structured collections.

Graphic, in this context, refers to Kantranzou’s moderate use of vibrant colours and structured imageries in her collection rather than the excessive cutouts, up to the waist slits or dangerously plunging necklines. Case in point: her fragrance flacon-emblazoned ready-to-wear collection circa fall/winter 2009.

Sadly, without any obvious reason one could think of, not a single fashion retailer in Malaysia has shown their interest in bringing in the London-based Greek designer collection to our shore.

But heck, with air travelling getting cheaper (even for Business Class seats on some international airlines), plus the favourable exchange rate for Ringgit over the British pound, I think it won’t be too much if I say that now, almost everyone can wear Mary Kantranzou’s ready-to-wear, just like how everyone can fly to London with Air Asia X.

After garnering accolades from the fashion media for her dazzling graphic-imbued collections three seasons in a row, Kantranzou once again reprised her triumph by scoring multiple A-plus from the critics and fans alike. This time, she looked to the aesthetical beauty of architecture and interior design as her muse and hence, resulting a collection of 26 beautiful ready-to-wear pieces for the upcoming spring/summer that are richly drenched in fabulous working palette of vibrant colours and awe-inspiring digital images.

Like a design trademark of sort, Kantranzou’s creations can be easily identified through several characteristics – necklines are often rounded or square and sometimes barely bare the shoulders; clean and symmetrically structured silhouettes occasionally dashed with creative frills; and lots of digital images inspired by concrete structures or belongings.

At the start of the show, the first few pieces that were paraded by the models spot streamlined shapes with a diminutive touch of avant-gardism such as a structured and cropped mini poncho with asymmetrical hem placed around the model’s neck and shoulder.

But as the show reached the second half part, one can see and feel the strong avant-garde vibe of the collection with strongly constructed panelled skirts that are akin of parasols or Victorian lampshades adorned with tiny tassels. The skirts’ edginess are further enhanced by a coterie of tops – either in prints or plainly coloured – in various styles.

Adding extra sense of quirkiness into the collection is the omnipresence of tassels and extra fabrics at the hemlines of some of the featured pieces. Look carefully and you will notice that these adornments are actually the extension to the trompe l’oeil curtains and other images.

On the whole, I am pretty much sure that Mary Kantranzou has what it takes to be on top of her game and I can’t wait to see what’s in store for next year’s fall/winter 2011-12 next year.

Mary Kantranzou spring/summer 2011 collection will be available at select fine departmental stores and multi-brand boutiques worldwide early next year.

*Photos by style.com