THIS season, Sarah Burton built upon her own personal and treasured collection of antique kimonos picked up during trips to Japan during her early days at McQueen. Those precious pieces informed the palette of blossom pink, red and black and brought about a blown-up floral on structured engineered jacquard lantern-sleeved dresses, which were so stiffened they looked like they might stand up of their own accord were a body not even in them. And so the theme developed, extending too to hair and make-up, which served to enhance the Samurai warrior feel, with faces covered in angular black lacquer masks and hair aggressively pulled back into neatly folded ponytails and stylish footwear.
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