Charles and Ron AW2012 'So Hot, So Cold'.

Dear Readers,

Being Maltese and not knowing who Charles and Ron are is almost impossible. It is therefore expected that the launch of their AW2012 collection, by the name of 'So Hot, So Cold', would turn out to be a very crowded and highly anticipated show.

My first impression of tonight was an interesting one. You could almost smell it in the air: a feeling of confidence and assuredness. From the relative peacefulness backstage, to the carefully assigned seating and the whiteness of the runway. 

A star-studded audience - which included popular Maltese stylist Carina Camilleri n Giuseppe Zanotti shoes - was witness to a collection moulded around the element of 'contrast'. A contrast embodied in the two designers themselves. Dutch-born designer Ron and Maltese designer Charles come from two polar opposite areas of Europe, and each pool in creative juices that are ultimately influenced by the cultures they hail from. It is this juxtaposition of the warm and Mediterranean on the one hand and the cold and Central European on the other that is the underlying inspiration behind the 'So Hot, So Cold' collection. 

Contrast. So many have been there, done that. One too many times. However, if you take contrast to a whole new level, by allowing the element to permeate all aspects of the collection, that deja-vu sentiment fades away before you know it.

It was everywhere. The contrast was everywhere. From the mixing of fabrics, to the the juxtaposition of red and blue, to the combination of essentially diverse silhouettes, it was truly difficult to keep up with all the contrast on the attire. To think about it, the soundtrack of the show, 'The Lady is a Tramp' also complemented the motif surprisingly well. 'Lady' and 'Tramp', does it ring a bell to you too?

Models first graced the runway in a selection of heavy outerwear, ideal for the coldest of climates. Pieces seemed to be willingly divided between the cold and warm colour palettes, which is, ultimately, a good way of emphasising the 'contrast' theme. The coats and capes had a distinctly 'northern' feel to them. They reminded me of French women. And Belgians too.

Th second time round, all models removed their outerwear to reveal a stunning ensemble of dresses which were evidently more Mediterranean-inspired. I think the dresses' silhouettes were what made the trick! The draped gowns were immediately reminiscent of the classic Greek tunic and the more fitted, sultry garments are easily something a fashion-conscious Italian woman would opt for for her next lavish event. 

'Taking it a step ahead' is a phrase that hardly describes this collection. Charles and Ron did not only preserve the element of 'contrast' by pairing heavy outerwear with lightweight dresses, they also went as far as injecting contrast in the dresses themselves! Mixed colours, different lengths, combined textures, and very interestingly, a lack of symmetry: they all contributed to the feeling that 'this shouldn't be working, but it does.' And how fabulous are those feather collars?

Worth a particular mention is the Viventi Jewels by 202 Jewellery collection that models also donned down the runway. I cannot quite understand how, but even though the frocks were undoubtedly busy with detail, these jewels were an extremely pleasant addition nonetheless.

As other bloggers also noted, the make-up, well entrusted to the skilful hands of Justin Brincat, relied on the contrast between red and blue, sometimes being featured simultaneously in a two-toned lip look. 

Whenever someone asks me to describe my style, I always end up saying 'I don't know how to, but I like to bring together contrasting styles!'. Don't we all? Let's remember this is the age of colour blocking, pattern mixing, the combination of vintage and modern, thrifted and designer. In the 'Generation of Contrast' - totally made that up - it was more than appropriate to see it being applied locally. 

It was great.

You can check out a full selection of photos from this show over on my Facebook Page. Tomorrow though, I've already eaten the keyboard twice during the past 15 minutes. If my semiotics understanding is fine tuned enough, that means I'm sleepy.

-B