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LONDON (AP) - Cotton candy pink isn't just for girly girls.
Jean-Pierre Braganza's spring womenswear preview at London Fashion Week on Friday is inspired by what he calls the "contradiction of femininity," and his opening outfit tells you what this is all about: a satin dress suit with a businesslike blazer and a flirty mini skater skirt, in bold blocks of black, white and pale pink.
Canadian-born Braganza, who is best known for his sharp tailoring and dark, urban sense of style, takes that interplay between sweetness and toughness further as his collection unfolds.
The same baby pink reappears as dresses in his signature draped silhouette, tops and skirts with high-low hems, and shorts that ride just barely on the hipbone. There's quite a lot of skin on show, whether through cutouts at the back or an asymmetrical hem that ends high at the thigh.
There are sporty, oversized tops, a sleeveless biker jacket in cracked leather, but also surprisingly elegant and easy to wear blouse and pencil skirt ensembles thrown in the mix. A monochrome palette dominates and unifies everything, with pink and a few splashes of red as accents. The collection closes with a pure white dress with origami-like folds and a plunging neckline.
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