ZAMBESI AUTUMN/WINTER 2012
Zambesi’s collections have often expressed the notions of duality. This winter however, there is a particularly vivid dichotomy at work. This double-vision is articulated at its most obvious in garments that are quite literally split-screened
into two halves, or in the conflict of sombre dark tones of navy, black and ash brown against energetic bright neon yellow and electric kingfisher blue. It is present in the heritage pieces that serve double-duty worn in a multitude of ways. This bilateral attitude begins and ends with the crucial dialogue that has been created in this range – a conversation between couture and sportswear. Evolving from its foundations in the formal and exacting world of tailoring and eveningwear, the collection is heavily influenced by the diametrically opposite world of the sportif.
Sometimes the dyadic nature of the sport-couture influence is clear, as in the case of an immaculately tailored, cropped jacket that is rendered entirely new in sweatshirting fabric. More often it is subtle – a hidden hint of fluoro technical
fabric lining a jacket – or inside a trouser pocket.
Context is key – taking garments outside their usual parameters and playing with shape, texture and conventional proportions. These are garments that are intended to be forever, and yet there remains a willingness to destroy and regenerate, expressed in the well-considered touches of deconstruction such as a raw selvage or a cut out piece of cloth that can be found throughout the collection.
Zambesi Woman
The unexpected use of sweatshirting speaks volumes about the ease of attitude in this collection that combines formal tailoring with sports inspired wearability.
Zips, domes, technical fabrics and the use of neon establish the sporting influence against the classicism of pinstriped suiting and structured lines. Metal domes and split-vision fabric combinations give garments like the trenchcoat a modern currency. Texture comes to the fore in the plushness of a black snowcat fur coat, or the anarchic rabble of tiny sequins on a delicate bow-front detailed blouse.
There are considered, subtle touches of deconstruction, such as the cutout chunks on the hems on the tartan wool skirt, or an exposed selvage on a cowl-neck dress. Trousers are skinny-legged, often in sportswear fabrications and further streamlined with racing stripes. Sportswear shapes can be seen in dresses and blouses too including a neon sweatshirting skater dress and a structured blouse that has the
proportions of oversized doll clothes, also done in unexpected neon sweatshirting.
The long, lean silhouette of the collection extends itself to many of the skirts and dresses. A floor-skimming silk georgette comes in a bold, digitized animal fur print. There’s a twisted architecturalism to the gown constructed in pinstripe brown wool suiting and the duality of the collection can clearly be seen in the dresses split in half by use of colour and texture, with nylon-lycra top halves pitched against sheer
viscose full-lengths skirts.
Zambesi Man
The industrial workwear aesthetic that pervades this collection is evident in the starkness of a rubberized neon stripe on a fisherman’s jersey and bold, ascetic pieces like the domed jumpsuit.
Classic suiting proportions are altered with a high-cropped one button jacket that can be teamed either with the sharpness of The Knife trouser, or the louche, double-pleated bag of The Oxford. Suiting jackets also include a fitted two-button, and a cropped dinner jacket with slim lapel.
The dinner lapel also appears in a key coat for the season, its elegant lines heightened with jet pockets and a single button. The dualism of this range is expressed in the dome-detailed men’s trenchcoat which comes in combinations of technical outerwear and vinyl. The belted trench with waisted cape, in black raincoating is detailed with oversized billow-patch pockets. The parka is the utilitarian coat of the season, again given sporting attributes with technical fluorescent lining and a removable fur hood. A bomber in moleskin is fitted and
fluoro lined. Shirts this season include a deft take on the club collar.
Sportswear influences can also be seen in the trousers which use jodhpur shapes and track and field proportions with sweat-shirting and technical fabrics predominating. Boxy sweatshirts come in fluoro with elastic trim. Knits are cropped and fitted in navy, ash brown, black and navy plaid.
Ipad bags and skinny domed belts come in stamped leather. The duality present throughout the collection is expressed here at its most sublime in the split-sided felt hat, which also comes in plain black.