I saw a gothic inspired dress recently that has been stuck in my head, and I just had to find out whose it was.
I did find out, and want to share it with you in case you haven’t yet seen it: check out this hot dress from Mark Fast. Summer leather has never been so sexy!
This fabulously detailed dress featured in December’s Harpers Bazaar UK on the delectable Florence Welch (of Florence & the Machine)
Mark Fast is a Canadian knitwear designer who has studied at Central St Martins for 5 years, and exhibited at London Fashion Week. Perhaps it’s the pairing with leather, but he sure makes knitwear sexy and exciting (and I can’t BELIEVE I’m featuring knitwear again, so soon after Nozomi Ishiguro).
He has a particular process for creating his garments.
Mark designs by hand on a domestic knitting machine. His work is formed onto the body as he knits, and he has devised innovative stitching techniques, blending lycra with viscose, angora or wool. He is inspired by the endless possibilities of lycra yarns, sculpting areas of tension and areas of volume over the body.
You can read more about the man on his website here. He’s known for sending larger models down the runway (which you’ll also see at the website). If you’d like to see the show in motion, please check this link here:
The Mark Fast SS11 Fashion Show
Below are some faves from the show – click on the photos for more detail and bigger size.
Of course, the black always gets my vote, but the bursts of colour when they come are also truly delicious.
There’s a tribal feel, it seems to me, and yet a very modern one too with all the strapping and use of pvc.
In these close-up shots you can see the intricate layering of straps and fabric, and glossy pvc adds pop to some outfits (as if the juicy colours weren’t enough)
In all of the dresses (and pants) there is a generous amount of fringing, and Mark used this to his advantage in his last show-stopping look in white.
Hard looks to pull off in real life, and fitting somewhere between resort wear and evening, it remains to be seen how this will filter down to “real women”. I’d have to wear a corset over the dresses (or shed quite a few kilos). That first dress though, that I love TO PIECES, looks just about do-able (except for the price-tag of nearly 4k AUD)
What do you think?
Florence looks great dressed in Mark Fast. Her music is really good, but I usually find her look boring. This is a great step up for her.
She really does suit black, I think, as contrasted against her red hair.
That first dress looks terrible on the mannequin but gorgeous on the model. Unfortunately we’re both feeling the pinch in more ways than one!!!
I think the little leather ruffles really make the dress, and yeah, they certainly look better in motion on a real person. It’s given me another DIY idea to zoozh up a dress (only with vinyl probably, that would actually fit in my sewing machine)