Maybe it has something to do with the way the seasons work down under, but Sydney-based designers Camilla Freeman-Topper and Marc Freeman came to Fall '12 with a spring in their step. The new Camilla and Marc collection was positively giddy with color—never mind the somewhat obligatory blacks, of which there were plenty, because the standouts here were undoubtedly the dazzling floral print and hand-painted jacquard numbers. In large part, that had to do with the luxury of the fabrics: Freeman and Freeman-Topper have really exerted themselves, in terms of their materials, applying the floral print to silk cotton that had been pleated and fused and developing a wide-wale jacquard with an almost velvety texture. (They also developed a denim jacquard, which proved more compelling in person than it comes off in pictures.) The punchiness of the patterned items was nicely complemented by sculptural pastel dresses and the signature wide-leg Camilla and Marc trouser, this time turned out in hot pink, blush, and peach. The Freeman siblings didn't turn an entirely blind eye to the usual winter prerogatives, however; the shearlings this season were extra sharp-looking.
