Francesca Marotta mourns in a beautiful new collection

This is the second season for Francesca Marotta at London Fashion Week, and what better way to continue than with her show ‘Amore della mia Vita’ translating as ‘Love of my Life’.

If the selection of stunning garments that were sent down the runway are anything to go by, then Marotta is set to be big.

The show took place in Goldsmiths’ Hall, a perfect setting for the collection. With the high ceilings and exquisite gold plated architecture it was just the right backdrop for dark and mysterious clothing. The entire collection was black, with the exception of one red lace jacket, and with obvious connotation to the colour black, the collection represented a time of mourning for women in Sicily who have loved and lost someone close to them. Francesca has obviously been inspired by previous life experiences in this collection.

The complete mix of fabrics that made up the collection gave the clothing that extra detail. Wool coats with brocaded sleeves, cashmere jumpers with bold jewellery and the mix of sheer blouses with leather skirts all gave the collection an added edge. The use of lace was stunning; especially for the dramatic finale. The model almost fell onto the catwalk and continued to stumble and sway as she made her way down, all the time with ‘blood’ dripping from her eye. The dress she wore was a beautiful, high neck, floor-length piece made entirely of lace.

Throughout the collection there was a definite resemblance to designers like Alexander McQueen. Especially with the ending, you could see references and inspiration take from McQueen’s earlier collections in the 1990s, in particular the famous ‘Highland Rape’.

Flashes of red and yellow appeared throughout through the use of jewellery by Milko Boyarov; the colour contrasting to the black clothing. The jewellery was fun and the use of the dramatic shapes, like in the phosphorescent yellow necklace, was a nice touch.

Francesca Marotta has produced a stunning collection for Autumn/Winter 2012 and we are a firm believer in her future.

DID YOU READ? London Fashion Week: A La Mode.