London's strongest new-comer

On Tuesday night I was one of the lucky few to attend the Thomas Tait fw11 show. And I mean lucky not only because I was invited but because I got to see closely a great designer in the making and his creations. In a charming hidden away venue in the heart of London the Canadian designer, who recently finished his MA at Central Saint Martins was won this year's Dorchester Prize, showed a collection that was as minimalist in cut as it was intricate in cut. It is said of Tait that he doesn't use shortcuts to make real his vision. Instead, he spends long periods of time focusing on impeccable pattern cutting. This showed in the architectural shapes of skirts, which combined folded wool and pleated silk, and the coats that filled the attendee's mouths after the show. I was also particularly taken away by the backless night gowns, which revealed a pleated trail so dynamic it seemed to have life of its own, and the shoes —suede slippers and ankle boots and minimal leather stilettos cuffed at the ankle.

I couldn't help but to think of Napoleonic clothing. Tait seemed to have taken 18th century France as inspiration and approached it from an avant-garde tailoring point of view. The colour palette reminded me of Céline's hit FW11 collection, as Tait restricted himself to black, navy blue, ivory and white.
Have a look at my video of the finale below. The clothes are even more stunning in movement. (And, for a spot of fun, have a look at the pictures on Style.com, I am in the background on the left!)

I'm off.

[Pictures: Style.com]