Zandra Rhodes does have exceedingly good taste and I had to concur with her conclusion of Martin Bergstrom's work [1] as 'dramatic, theatrical, intense' in the IQONS newsletter where she chose 10 of her favourite IQONS [2].  Bergstrom is another multi-talenter that I could envy but it's so much more satisfying admiring.  A stylist, illustrator as well as designer, Bergstrom [3] is based in Stockholm and what really caught my eye from his website [4] was this editorial for Bon magazine, where he styled and presumably constructed the growing 'Evolution' of flowers and foliage blossoming over the model with illustrations also superimposed.  Let's not go into the biblical meanings that this sequence of images represents (five frickin' years of bible class.... not good for the brain I tells ya....) but I am interested in the organic/natural movement of flowers in the same way that I liked the structural references of flowers that Benjamin Cho made for his SS08 collection [5].  I love how the illustrations blend seamlessly in with the fabric and flowers.  Whilst floral as a print is easily attainable, it's floral structures and physical presence that I'm chasing for.            

His own collection entitled 'Fade to Grey' is a muted mastery of chiffon, a notoriously slippery, tricky fabric to work with.  To use an abundance of it along with satin could end up as something of a frou-frou cupcake affair (there are times when frou frou cupcakes just aren't right....).  However, as he varies his use of this feather-light material from a simple ruffled neck flowing halterneck to  a dress that ruches and ruffles in all different directions, in various shades of grey with blue and foam green randomly popping up.  I particularly love the slouchy jacket, which has the perfect level of looseness and is in a wonderfully matted grey.   

[6] [7]

[8] [9]