PEDRO LOURENÇO RESORT 2013

Ever since his first Fall / Winter runway show in 2010 (at just 19) 21-year-old designer Pedro Lourenço has been wrestling with visuals which are sure to characterise his namesake line. The young Brazilian took inspiration for his Resort 2013 collection from photographer Richard Mosse. Mosse is known for capturing images of nomadic rebels in the Congo using Kodak’s Aerochrome film. The film turns the dusty yellows of the desert and even the most green of forests into bubblegum pink and full-blown fuchsias.

Yet Lourenço, psychedelic prints didn’t necessarily fall in line with the abundance of free-flowing and more structured digital prints we’ve seen over the last few seasons. Lourenço plays upon the more down-to-earth vibe that can be found on almost every smartphone out there at the moment. Pedro Lourenço Resort 2013 prints reflect those snapshots we all take using our Hipstamatic and Instagram apps. Lourenço took these prints and incorporated them onto those traditional couture fabrics of taffeta and organza. His bomber jackets and aviator shirts wouldn’t look out of place at a swanky cocktail do.

This fledging designer made a marked move away from the habits of many seasoned designers and brought the more luxurious of couture fabrics to the more mainstream Resort line and didn’t disappoint. Lourenço rose-coloured Resort collection has an air of futurism about it; models wore two-tone visors across their eyes and Lourenço’s asymmetric silhouettes felt ultra-modern. He brought the darkroom to the runway and made it pop! Even the most stringent of tomboys’ would be hard pushed not to fall in love with pink after laying eyes on the Lourenço Resort 2013 collection.

Still early in his career, Lourenço has set the tone of what we can expect to come. His Resort collection was played out in athletic silhouettes, sharp and edgy tailoring, elegant fabrics and eye-catching digital prints.

- Ellen Stewart