Clare Waight Keller's knitwear background means she has a natural curiosity about the textures and treatments of fabric. It's one way she's making 195-year-old Pringle of Scotland more modern. From her men's collection for Spring, Keller carried over the waxed silks, glowing reds and blues, and translucent white, in poncho-like shapes. She dissected traditional plaid into grids, which were woven into two tank dresses and layered, one over the other, to form the familiar pattern. She feathered fil coupé for an effect much like a raffia, but softer, for a top and skirt. Keller also engineered knits into a fully fashioned bra and shorts with a cardigan over top. It was a sassy, summery little outfit.
Special effects aside, the designer's overriding goal was a look with the crisp, clean edge of the women in vintage Peter Lindbergh photographs: something as graphic as a white shirt and beautifully tailored pants that could cross from work to play with a minimum of fuss. She's getting there.
