Peter Pilotto Fall 2014: An Exercise in Extremes (Runway Review)

The Scene: The invitation to Peter Pilotto’s Fall 2014 show was a hologram that alternated between a lush field of purple flowers and green girls aligned with the flowers as if the women were stems. This foreshadowed both the impressionist prints that appeared one way at a distance and another viewed closely, as well as more literal prints. As designers Peter Pilotto and Christopher De Vos verbalized it, the show was “an expression of hybrid seasons and moods.”

The Inspiration: “Frozen, mavericks, waves.”

The Look: Colored fur has been a major trend at London Fashion Week and Peter Pilotto piled it on. Other popular elements the pair utilized included sequins and appliqués, but in a much more modern way than was seen on any other runway. It was executed without the 80s references that seemed requisite on other catwalks and this streamlining came as a visual relief. Innovative use of bands of fabric and appliqués to create the illusion of stripes and patterns was very dynamic. The visuals changed depending on how close you were to the piece, much like an impressionist painting. Designs ranged from approaching avant-garde to the very, very wearable. Dresses were bodycon, but there were also boxy jackets. It was a fall collection, but there were a lot of strapless florals. Pilotto and De Vos kept you guessing in the most stimulating way, and delivered beautiful clothes with no surprises just for the sake of surprises.

The Beauty: The hair look from Anthony Turner for L’Oréal involved super-slick ponytails with severe parts. The inspiration was “snowboard-inspired helmet hair” and was achieved using a tub of glue! Lucia Pica from MAC Cosmetics created the very natural makeup look consisting of a nude lip and glossy eye.

The Takeaway: This was one of the more beautiful, artistic and inspired collections so far. 

All images: IMAXtree