LOOKBOOK: MARY KATRANTZOU

Who needs a necklace when you've got a jewelry-inspired dress?

Make no mistake: Mary Katrantzou is no Benjamin Braddock.

While some recent grads spend a few aimless months trying to figure out just what it is they want to do, the Greek-born designer launched her fashion career before she even graduated from London's Central Saint Martin’s.

Her spring ’09 collection is every bit worthy of the Best Graduate award she won at the London Fashion Awards. Her dresses feature Russian Constructivist-meets-Art Deco trompe l’oeil prints that make it look like you’re wearing an oversized necklace without actually having to put one on. The colors are bright, the graphics are mesmerizing, but because the dresses themselves are simple in shape, nothing goes overboard.

It’s the type of dress you could wear with a blazer for work and then throw on a pair of platforms for a party, and honestly, we find it hard to pick a favorite from her line. We can’t help but think: Ms. Katrantzou, you’re trying to seduce us.
REBECCA WILLA DAVIS

marykatrantzou.com



This story was published on November 26, 2008.