Belle Sauvage, the London-Luxemboug based design duo made up of Virginia Ferreira and Chris Neuman produced their S/S 2013 collection in conjunction with the Mercedes-Benz A-Class Special Edition, using the collection’s signature print to ordain the exterior of the car: a confusing but eye-catching piece of artwork combining punk elements such as skulls, chains, zips and safety pins, creating symmetrical and semi mechanical shapes, at once both classically baroque and harshly modern in style, with a sleek and sporty leather interior.

Both of the elements used in the customizing of the car were reflective of the collection as a whole: from the use of leather in the form of sleek, sporty and architectural cropped voluminous jackets, to the clinging catsuits elaborately decorated with Neuman’s print. The print was also the focal point of the more refined pieces in the collection: a stunning one-shouldered cocktail dress, a pair of perfectly cut palazzo pants and a simple but elegant ball gown. The classic cut of each piece carefully framed the striking print that provided an intricate contrast to the clean shapes of the pieces themselves. To complement the bold printed pieces the designers created a series of covetable separates: studded leather jackets, mesh tops and conical bras stood out the most, layered over white dresses made of chiffon and hammered silk.

 

Those pieces in the collection not embellished with the eponymous print were largely in black or white, with the variety in materials providing the range of textures needed to keep the collection both unified and intriguing. While the collection could not be classed as summery in the most traditional sense, the clothes presented held true to the style of the woman for whom Neuman and Ferreira design: feminine but strong, simple and effortless, and never afraid to make a statement.