Richard Nicoll – London-born and base, Australian designer – took a fresh and minimalistic approach to his Autumn/Winter 2013 ready-to-wear collection at London Fashion Week. The collection exuded a perfect blend of simplicity and utter opulence. Nicoll transposed luxurious and predominately feminine fabrics into a range of looks heavily influenced by masculine shapes and cuts. With designers now consciously factoring in salability, Nicoll’s wearable, and chiefly work-wear pieces answered to the consumer’s profession-driven market. Opting for shades of bluish-gray, nude and tangerine, Nicoll steered away from the usual harsh palette showcased in autumn/winter collections.
The immediate draw to Nicoll’s collection is the versatility of the pieces. Immaculate fabrics swept down the runway in the form of not-exclusively-androgynous suits and tailored sheath dresses. Amongst the innate softness of the collection, the designer punctuated the looks with patent leather and leant towards notable biker details. The simplicity occasionally lacked an explicit statement, however this was made up for by a bold utilisation of tangerine and fine tones of nude. In articulating the collection’s simplicity, Nicoll relied on the cuts of the garment, a use of luxurious fabrics and impact-driven vivid tones. With the use of understated prints, such as a muted use of herringbone and suppressed use of crocodile-esque print, it has maintained a fresh take on Nicoll’s minimalistic aesthetic.
Fixated on developing “”omething fresh and intuitive,” Richard Nicoll’s Ready-to-Wear collection excels in delivery the designer’s intentions. The collection showed no sign of being overthought, with Nicoll’s collection possessing an understated vibe birthed from a balance between feminine and masculine shapes. With a strong inclination towards pantsuits and work-appropriate dresses, there is no doubt that this collection will be worn worldwide on a regular nine-to-five basis.
Images from LondonFashionWeek.co.uk
