Printed Revelry: Peter Pilotto At Audi Fashion Festival

Carving its reputation from the art of print, the house of Peter Pilotto energises their signature style with fresh fabrications and an interesting point of departure in their Fall/Winter 13 collection. Taking a leaf out of Spanish renaissance art, pieces meld the classicism and opulence of 17th century Spain with a futuristic twist. With their angular silhouettes, and flat, neck-grazing designs, the female form is articulated in ways that are at once feminine, yet muscular and strong.

Faces were kept pristine and glossy with a dab of mineral-grey eye shadow and defined upper-eye line, while hair was gathered and slicked back into a hair-wrapped pony tail – bearing hints of the sleek yet teased tresses of Spanish matadors. It is also precisely this point of reference that trickles down to the clothes – with squared-off shoulders, luxurious embroidery, geometric wrap-skirts and contoured details awash in kaleidoscopic prints.

Medieval patterns and faceted, Gaudi-esque stained glass motifs are juxtaposed and alongside flat expanses of red, blue, green and mustard. In signature Pilotto style, structure was the order of the day, where form and aesthetics are deftly balanced – without one or the other overpowering the piece. The result is an ecstatic and deeply researched artistic oeuvre that takes you somewhere else.

Our Audi Fashion Festival coverage is a collaborative project with the good folks at plussixfive.