Mary Katrantzou toyed with the dark — and fantastical — elements of the Forties, a decade of war, film noir and Disney’s groundbreaking film “Fantasia.” It was a busy collection, with lots of charm, crystal sparkle, checks, flowers and fur – not exactly for the minimalist dresser.
“I was thinking of different kingdoms, the Magic Kingdom and ‘Fantasia,’ which I first saw when I was about 10, and how Disney used the music to animate the characters,” Katrantzou explained after the show. “I wanted to counterbalance that with the Forties, and the heroines of film noir.”
An orchestra, positioned on the sidelines of the runway, played as the show unfolded with Forties-style chubbies and coats with jumbo fur sleeves, check ones with luscious fur collars, flower studs and crystal fringe, and suits with shiny swan embellishments.
Dresses with poufs at the shoulder were a joyous patchwork of velvet, tulle and check, while tapestry peplum jackets came with jaunty zips down the front. The orchestra, riffing on songs such as “The Rose,” added a dreamy, sentimental dimension, which was fitting for the lineup of velvet dresses, which sprouted pink ostrich feathers or shimmered with iridescent cosmic patterns, starbursts, fairies and fauns. Tinkerbell made an appearance, too, drifting across Katrantzou’s dark velvet designs, with permission from Disney.