Jonathan Saunders
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LONDON, September 21, 2010
By Tim Blanks
Jonathan Saunders knew what he didn't want for Spring: androgyny and any reference to the seventies. Instead, he was looking at what he called "the gorgeous picture-postcard beauty" of the women in Erwin Blumenfeld's fashion photography of the forties and fifties, and, from the same period, the pure, sporty femininity of Claire McCardell's designs.Those inspirations made for an extremely pleasing show. The models, in precise ponytails and bright red lips, wore pretty dresses with just enough edge to stay this side of saccharine, largely thanks to Saunders' skill as a colorist. So a pale blue sundress would be anchored by a band of industrial orange, spray-painted around its hem. Or a decorous knee-length, box-pleated dress, also in orange, would be troubled by what looked like gray oxidation creeping across its prettiness. Saunders used an abstract floral wallpaper print in a bustier with a pencil skirt, and a blouse with a pleated white skirt.
Same print, different mood: one womanly, the other jeune fille. That determined the show's pendulum swing. The woman won. The subtle sophistication of a dove gray halter dress banded in yellow and white, or a floral slip trimmed in mint green and veiled in a sheer shift, also floral-printed, was significantly enhanced by the length, while all the short, pleated skirts looked too girlishly rah-rah for a designer of Saunders' acuity.
Case in point: the final dresses, the first an elegant floor-length black column with a white bodice veiled in net lace; the second, the same configuration of black, white, and lace, but flaring out to a mid-thigh hem. Saunders' point about options couldn't have been made with more clarity. It was just that one of the choices looked so much more…desirable.
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Spring 2011 Ready-to-Wear
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3.1 Phillip Lim -
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Acne ADAM A Détacher Alberta Ferretti Alexander Wang Alexandre Herchcovitch Alice + Olivia Altuzarra Anna Sui Antonio Berardi Antonio Marras Araks -
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Badgley Mischka Band of Outsiders Barbara Tfank Basso & Brooke BCBG Max Azria Behnaz Sarafpour Bensoni Betsey Johnson Betty Jackson Bibhu Mohapatra Bill Blass Burberry Prorsum -
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D&G Davidelfin David Koma Dennis Basso Derek Lam Diane von Furstenberg Diesel Black Gold DKNY Donna Karan Doo.Ri Douglas Hannant Duro Olowu -
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Edun Elie Tahari Elise Řverland Emilio de la Morena Erdem Erin Fetherston Etro -
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Fashion East Fashion Fringe Fendi Francesco Scognamiglio Frank Tell -
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Gabriele Colangelo Gant by Michael Bastian Gary Graham Gianfranco Ferré Giles Graeme Armour Gregory Parkinson G-Star Gucci -
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Halston Hannah Marshall Helmut Lang Hervé Léger by Max Azria Holly Fulton House of Holland -
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Imitation Isaac Mizrahi Issa -
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J. Mendel Jaeger London Jason Wu Jen Kao Jenni Kayne Jeremy Laing Jeremy Scott Jill Stuart Jonathan Saunders Juan Carlos Obando Julian Louie Julien Macdonald -
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Karen Walker Kimberly Ovitz Kinder Aggugini -
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L.A.M.B. L'Wren Scott Lacoste Lela Rose Louise Gray Luca Luca Luisa Beccaria Lyn Devon -
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Naeem Khan Nanette Lepore Narciso Rodriguez Nicholas K Nicole Farhi Nicole Miller No. 21 -
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Ohne Titel Organic by John Patrick Oscar de la Renta Osman -
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Paul Smith Peter Pilotto Peter Som Philosophy Ports 1961 PPQ Prabal Gurung Prada Preen Pringle of Scotland Proenza Schouler -
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Rachel Comey Rachel Roy RAD by Rad Hourani Rag & Bone Ralph Lauren Rebecca Minkoff Rebecca Taylor Reed Krakoff Reem Acra Richard Chai Love Richard Nicoll Rodarte Roksanda Ilincic Ruffian -
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Sachin + Babi Sass & Bide Shipley & Halmos Sophie Theallet Sportmax Stćrk Stephen Burrows Steven Alan Suno -
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Temperley London Tess Giberson Thakoon Theyskens' Theory Threeasfour Tibi Timo Weiland Todd Lynn Tommy Hilfiger Tory Burch Tracy Reese TRIAS TSE Twenty8Twelve -
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Unique United Bamboo -
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Vena Cava Vera Wang Versace Victoria Beckham Vivienne Tam Vivienne Westwood Red Label VPL -
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Wayne Wes Gordon Willow -
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Y-3 Yigal Azrouël -
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Zero + Maria Cornejo Z Spoke by Zac Posen