London Fashion Week: 10 Best Looks From Mary Katrantzou Spring 2017

The designer's SS17 runway was a love letter to her native Greece

By Annabelle Fernandez - published 19 Sep 2016

Mary Katrantzou's Spring runway was a love letter to her native Greece, starting with the short silver and white Doric pillars that lined the center of the catwalk. Greece is going through massive upheaval and controversy right now, but Katrantzou's collection reminded everyone how much the modern world owes to the ancient Greeks—democracy, architecture, medicine, theater, fine arts, sports...

Katrantzou started with her signature prints, this time in multicolor spirals and lines that created optical illusions. The center of each print was a Greek pottery motif. As the models moved, the prints looked like they were moving too. The Greeks also gave us humor, translated through all printed medallions that featured suns sticking their tongues out or marble statues curled up on the ground (as if those marble creatures would ever be seen sitting!)

Like the prints, Plexi paillettes and different materials all served to create bright optics. Layers of scalloped tulle in yellow and black turned into a pretty and pretty mesmerizing skirt while the k-chunk-k-chunk of paillette dresses and skirts sounded like armor. Like modern, colorful Spartans.

Silhouettes were body-skimming, lean and spare — the best kind of canvas for the printed and decorative free-for-all. Peplums cropped up on trim, color blocked skirt suits, while each look was paired with a fun, whimsical and chic clutch or top-handle bag in the shape of a letter and for earrings, monotone dangling laurel leaves worn on one ear.

Evening was similarly statement-making, with peplum ballgown skirts worn with smart button-down shirts or long-sleeve tops. Here, sequinned dove appliqués and outlined frieze faces of Greek women (image 5).

From: Harper's BAZAAR US