London Fashion Week: Pringle spring/summer 2012

   

 

Abbey Lee Kershaw at Pringle spring/summer 2012. Photo: Vladimir Potop

Taking on a quintessentially British heritage brand is a big ask for any designer. Between all the reverence and cap doffing for the past, fashion demands a fresh and modern outlook. It's a balance which few, besides Christopher Bailey at Burberry, have truly nailed, and yesterday at London Fashion Week it was Alistair Carr's turn to take up the challenge with his debut womenswear collection for knitwear brand, Pringle of Scotland.

Pringle of Scotland appoint new designer
Expectations were mixed - in line with the reviews of his first menswear collection shown in back in June - but hopes were high due to a thoroughly British fondness for both the brand, and the charming man cherry-picked from under Nicolas Ghesquiere's nose at Balenciaga to head up the label following Clare Waight Keller's departure to Chloé.
With the label's muse and campaign girl Tilda Swinton sat in the front row (if ever there was a woman who could make a 196-year-old brand famous for twinsets and golfing jumpers modern, it is she), Carr gave us a futuristic vision of heritage in technicolour glory.
The Pringle of Scotland Archive Project
No expense was spared on the model budget - this is one London Fashion Week label that truly competes on the international stage - the show opening with Abbey Lee Kershaw striding out to a soundtrack of Nothing's Going to Change My World in a multi-colour graphic block motif sweater.
As you would expect, the knits were the star, from Carr's 8-bit trompe l'oeil vision of a v-neck, to his ingenious hand intarsia technique which made light work of chunky herringbone. The twinset was present too, fastened loosely at the back for summer.
But this collection wasn't all about wool.
There were artfully draped silk dresses patchworked together with tiny twinset buttons, cropped silk cargo pants and slick, articulated tailoring which revealed contrasting flashes of colour as the models moved.
Rousing applause from the crowd confirmed Carr had hit the right notes for his "sophisticated modern woman".
"I'm going to celebrate tonight", a relaxed and beaming Carr said afterwards. With the future of Pringle looking safe in his hands, the drinks should be on them.