Krystof Strozyna

Krystof Strozyna found himself in the fashion spotlight when Cheryl Cole wore one of his designs on the X-Factor recently, and also when Diana Vickers quickly followed in her former mentor’s footsteps by wearing the dress that Strozyna described as his ‘scuba’ design – he took inspiration from a wetsuit for the colours and materials he used.

But his celebrity backing is not the only basis for his success. His designs can speak for themselves and his Spring Summer 2011 show during London Fashion Week did not fail to once again impress critics.

The show opened with a video of a woman playfully eating daisies, a sign of the all-consuming femininity that was to follow. It was also an indication of the influence of nature on Strozyna’s collection.

With hair swept up in a just-got-out-of-bed chignon, the models strode out in oh-so-short nude lace body-con dresses with inserted panels of draped chiffon in sorbet shades of peppermint green, sky blue and hot pink. Cut into sharp and angular shapes, the inserted panels added a harsh contrast to the loose pale lace that surrounded them. Strozyna carried this through by adding matching lace stockings that ended with feet encased in chunky platformed heels.

Suddenly a shapeless, loose-fitting harsh black suit forced the collection into a different direction as Strozyna brought his passion for natural prints into play. Dresses were covered in prints of various reptile skins in fluorescent tones of yellow, blue and pink.

His play on the hourglass silhouette - with his draping techniques and his distinct, complementary tones of bright and muted colours - produced a collection that was both mature and exciting for a designer so young.

(Photo courtesy of londonfashionweek.co.uk)