Maria Grachvogel SS14 LFW

This season LFW was a wet and rainy one. Hiding under a blanket of umbrellas, the eccentrically dressed audience fell pray to the typical, gloomy British weather. Feeling like a bunch of drowned kittens, it was hard to get into the spring/summer mood. Rather, we all felt like we wanted to retreat into autumn/winter’s warm and cosy layers. This was until one of the last designers to show at LFW SS14 collection. Creating an escape from the pitter-patter of raindrops, Maria Grachvogel reminded us of all the beautiful things that come when the clouds break.

With the sweet and simple sound of tweeting birds to open the show, Maria took us to the woodlands and showed us her expression of ‘youthful innocence and creative freedom’. Her collection gave us the idea that Spring is a youthful version of Summer; fresh, bare, innocent and pure as winter withdraws. The collection was inspired by a young artist, who in the same respect is ‘unaware of the captivating power of her beauty’.

The pieces were filled with energy as they had a large element of movement in them. As a whole, the collection was fluid and free-running as each of the designs were made of fine silks, organza and Egyptian cotton which allow the air to run through them and billow with the wind. This was shown off by the pace at which the models moved and made the show very aesthetically pleasing.

To open the show, a green haired goddess more formally known as Chloe Norgaard took to the catwalk. Famous for showcasing a range of rainbow colours in her her, she really is a ‘mane attraction’ (see our post perviously written about this notorious model here). Her youthful spirit and daring hair complimented the theme of the collection and had us star struck as we sat on the second row.

Maria Grachvogel used a very pale and earthy colour palette, a nod to the natural yet raw tones that come with Spring. Clay, plaster, putty and aqua were the main body colours of the collection and were a breath of fresh air compared to the electric neons we have seen dominate the streets this summer.

Overall, the show was enchanting in more ways than one and here at Semple, we cannot wait for next years Spring to bloom. We just hope it is as beautiful as Maria’s vision.

By Marni Banks