Upon seeing British Vogue's September issue cover with Karlie Kloss wearing a Jonathan Saunders A/W 12 trousers, I've now been kickstarted into the right frame of mind whereby I've got absolutely every intention of clashing as many geometric patterns into one outfit as I possibly can. Saunders' pitch perfect collection will be a a major part of that equation hopefully but there are parts to this post so the geometric game will be prolonged over the next few months, with the hopeful end result being an assault to your eyes - me wearing the outfit equivalent of a a geometric rubix cube.
In the context of the calendar last season, Jonathan Saunders' collection was the one that jolted geometric mix n' matching into real prominence for A/W 12-3. You can guess what part two is going to consist of given what then happened at Prada and Miu Miu. Awkward ugly-chic may be Miuccia's familiar territory but Saunders' collection was an ever-more assured refinement of his print pairing/judging skills that resulted in a weird cheeky play on buttoned-up prim equestrian-tinged outfitting. Saunders' women over the past few seasons have undergone various guises of being well-to-do on the surface with his prints and colour combinations revealing an underbelly to these manifestations of sartorial correctness. Here embossed lilac and blue double breasted coats sit alongside burgandy and acid green silk and buttoned up, wide-collared shirts in red and browns. It's those subtle observation of looking a bit "off" that for me really makes this collection sing. Melange wools in black and maroon resembling TV static patterns ground the collection and are the antithesis to the zanier appearances of acid green and orange triangular patterned silks. Saunders' knitwear continues to be a cornerstone of his collection with checked roll-necks and a stripy sporty v-neck pegged to be bestsellers. The dainty Japanese-inspired florals sprinkled towards the end of the collection add a touch of lightness to this female equestrian, who Saunders had conjured up.
The final flourish of completing this prim n' erect total look came courtesy of a touch of kink from Fleet Ilya, one of my favourite collaborations of the season. The two were familiar with each other's work and Saunders felt Ilya's saddle work was relevant for the collection as Ilya had already introduced a core collection of visors beforehand. ""It added a toughness to my "uptown" girl - horsey, sophisticated and slightly kinky - what more could you want!" says Saunders. The collaboration of three visors and two wavy belts will be available on Fleet Ilya's site.
