MBFWA 2012 Show Review: Manning Cartell

To launch its 2012 spring/summer line, Manning Cartell converted an old church into a fashion runway, seating eager guests on rows of pews fit for good girls – but, as the ‘Bad Girls’ backing track by MIA hinted, the Manning Cartell muse may be anything but these days.

Teaming with attitude, the brand presented a bold Frida Kahlo inspired collection, fusing the artist’s love of colour and layering with an array of different prints and textures which popped on the catwalk.

View the Manning Cartell runway images here

“Symbols often depicted in Frida’s art; flowers, fruits, monkeys and birds intertwined with ribbons, necklaces and vines influenced detailing within the collection in beady embellishments and digital prints,” explained the Manning Cartell design trio before the show. “Frida’s style is illustrated in prints of architectural lines, modern graphics and antique florals which clash in form and colour.”

The richly textured fabrics of the show, which included raffia, tapestry, jacquard, lace, and leather, worked harmoniously to create volume and movement in the silhouettes.

“I loved the pattern play – it’s always interesting to see black and white prints in a graphic form,” said marie claire’s Executive Fashion Editor, Jane Roarty, after the show. “I also loved the fact that the brand juxtaposed sheers with solid fabrics. There were a lot of silhouettes that were well shaped due to the fabrics. Overall, it was a very solid, well worked-out show.”