Futuristic fashion from Webber
by SUSANNAH CONWAY, femail.co.uk
Tristan Webber doesn't do fashion trends. Instead he pursues his own vision, creating a seductive world filled with strange creatures - on the catwalk at least.
The photographers at his show became frenzied last night when his spectacularly theatrical outfits appeared, worn by model-of-the-week Jacquetta Wheeler.
Webber's Autumn/Winter collection was entitled Arctic Garden, and his inspiration appeared to have come from some futuristic J G Ballard-inspired botanical garden, with Venus fly-traps and strange plants picked out in prints covering leather and embellished silks fashioned in to lean dresses, corset-style belts and skirts.
Webber's forte is his cutting, wielding his scissors like a surgeon's scalpel. Webber has been obsessed with human physiology since he graduated from Central Saint Martin's in 1997 and this collection proved he is still investigating the nature of bodily forms.
Panels of leather were manipulated into unusual shapes most notably a fan-shaped top splayed out across the model's shoulders and skirts made from panels of printed leather.
His belted coats were exceptionally strong - and wearable - with funnel necks and diamond-shaped front flaps faintly sci-fi in wool tweeds and suede. Thickly padded winter white ski jackets looked futuristic teamed with (real) fur trimming on cuffs and collars.
His chiffon confections in blues, pinks and whites were beautiful, draped to form revealing blouses and flirty dresses. The kimono-style blouses with billowing sleeves and leather obi nipping in the waist looked regal: looking past the Star Trek side of Webber's vision, this was a delectable collection of clothes.
