Fighting Spirit

LIMI feu

Spring/Summer 2013

As much as I loved Limi Yamamoto's romantic Autumn/Winter 2012 collection for her label, LIMI feu,  I could never quite shake the feeling that there was a slight disconnect between the designer and the collection. This is not necessarily a bad thing, and indeed in the fashion world it is actually more common than not, but part of me just felt that she was holding something back...something more rebellious. The pieces actually made far more sense to me when I saw them on a few different occasions in person, for without the runway styling and that oh so lovely runway hair, there was more of an unexpected beauty in the detailing and construction of the garments (for me, the outerwear in particular). Even so, the collection did not feel quite finished. As it was, some time later, when I first saw the studio shots for her new Spring/Summer 2013 collection, a smile crept across my face. Now this is Limi.

Baggy, oversize garments, looking like treasured hand-me-downs from grandfather to granddaughter, mixed with stronger feminine pieces, conjured to my mind an image of an independent young woman braving a storm. Not so much in the sense of a physical armour, but more a psychological one, with the masculine pieces inflated and draped to provide comfort, or else tailoring reduced to pieces boldly encasing the body to create a sense of security and power. I think the strength of the garments is far more apparent in the video shot for the collection, as opposed to the studio shots which seemed more geared towards presenting the garments in as whole a way as possible (three dimensional draping spread out for two dimensional display). Indeed it rather nicely underpins the necessity to see garments in movement on the body to really understand their reality.

Perhaps unsurprisingly I preferred the more romantic side of the collection. I was rather fond of the tailored jackets oversized to an extent providing an almost batwing like silhouette, especially with the silk lapel detailing and rolled sleeves, creating a thoroughly feminine interpretation to a men's jacket. And although I was most drawn towards the black and white looks, there was something utterly charming in the washed and faded denims that appeared in the collection. These were not the typical frayed and distressed pieces one tends to associate with treated denim, but rather faded and aged, being at once nostalgic and reassuring. In conjunction with the incredibly constructed knitwear pieces there was for me that attractive undercurrent of comfort, which worked well against the deconstructed tailoring pieces.

It finally felt like I understood Limi, and even though I may be late to the party, I am excited to see more.

Another Night Out ft. Mark Lanegan - UNKLE

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