On February 19th, all eyes were on the runway show that brought back the magic of everyone’s childhood. Mary Katrantzou may not be a very recognizable name to the average fashion addict but she is definitely one to be reckoned with.
Katrantzou was born in Athens, Greece in 1983 but left Europe to attend college to study architecture and design in the United States. The designer attended Rhode Island School of Design but then transferred to Central Saint Martin’s College of Art and Design. Her schooling led her in the direction of creating prints for interiors but as she grew as an artist she fell in love with the idea of creating fashion prints. From this passion she changed her path from textile design to women’s apparel. Katrantzou’s first Prêt-á-porter runway show was conducted at the 2008 autumn/winter London Fashion Week. After her first few shows, it was clear that her signature style was bold prints and oversized accessories. The exaggeration of the neck pieces allowed for an unrealistic design that made her collections seem almost fantasy like.
At the beginning of her career, Katrantzou saw her designs as art more than she saw them as clothing. This led to all of her garments being made from luxurious fabrics and strictly for runway couture. Recently though, Katrantzou has moved away from her original thought process and has delved into the ready-to-wear market. After realizing she had other target markets, Katrantzou began making less expensive collections to be sold as every day wear. Her brand is now sold worldwide in over 200 different retailers not including her own stores and website.
Most recently, Katrantzou has caught everyone’s attention with her most recent London Fashion Week runway show. Katrantzou’s signature style clearly played a role in her Autumn/Winter 2017 show, which was inspired by Walt Disney’s 1940 Fantasia. Her show created a buzz throughout the fashion world, as it brought to life the most glamorous delusion. All garments were designed using extravagant fabrics and vibrant colors. Each of her pieces also followed the time era of the 1940’s as seen in her silhouettes such as the large shoulder pads and the fur used. Along with Fantasia, scenes from the Little Mermaid and Little Centaur were used in her designs as well. Through a storybook of colors and dazzling printed fabrics, Katrantzou was successfully able to recreate one of the original Disney movies. If you didn’t know Mary Katrantzou’s name before, after seeing this runway show, you’ll certainly never forget it now.
All Photos Courtesy of Vogue