PARIS - Architecture, the patterns of painting movement "art brut" and the surrealistic colours of Dutch Master Brueghel were all inspirations behind Cedric Charlier's diverse fall-winter 2013-14 show in Paris.
The first pieces, among the collection's best, mixed up sharp geometric paneling alongside oversize coats with fluid, rounded shoulders.
Ensembles were made up of several layers, like square navy skirts on top of knee-length leggings with a rectangular bib form hanging down.
There were also some great structured sheaths in silky navy and black leather.
It's a far cry from the more fluid looks seen in Charlier's last collection.
"It's a contrast to how I normally work," said Charlier backstage. "The architecture is something I wanted to push more than before."
Indeed, contrasts defined the show.
Veiny print patterns seemingly came out of nowhere — here, the designer said he was inspired by an early 20th century movement called "art brut" that celebrated art from shunned circles, like mental asylums.
The marbled effects worked well when the silhouette was clean, like one pink assorted top and pencil skirt.
The same could be said for the fluorescent pinks, greens and bright patterns that capped the show, which Charlier said were inspired by medieval painter Brueghel, who sometimes used surrealistic colours.
When the patterning got more complex, the looks came across busy.
It was a relatively small distraction from an otherwise strong, creative show that will be popular with younger buyers.
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