Sophia Kokosalaki: Striking, But Not Innovative Enough
Written by: Godfrey Deeny
Photos by Gruber-FWD
LONDON, Feb 25, 2002/ FWD/ --- There were plenty of attractive and unusual clothes on the
catwalk at the Sophia Kokosalaki show in London Wednesday night, even if the critics
muttered derivative rather than directional as they left the presentation.
Kokosalaki opened her show with a series of great tops in wool and leather cut out in
abstract, Picasso-like designs.
They were visually striking and certainly made for good breakfast television viewing here.
She also showed chic and thoroughly modern multi-pleated leather jackets with clever cuts
and tucks.
Worn over multi-layered chiffon skirts, these had real pizzazz.
Unfortunately, many of her looks were a mite too reminiscent of a number of other designers –-
Hussein Chalayan and Nicolas Ghesquiere in particular -– which reduced the impact of the
collection.
Kokosalaki again showed men’s and women’s together, and with a clever play on androgyny had
the girls done up with mannish chopped hair and the boys with lots of makeup and slicked back
manes.
Her manly men’s jackets, leather redingotes and chunky woolens, had real style and would
have been perfect to wear out of the converted market on the banks of the Thames where the
show was staged.
Sophia is without doubt one of London’s great talents, and one of the few remaining in
London who might pack international punch.
But in the cruel world of fashion, being seen to follow on a few-months-old trend is close,
but no cigar.
|
