Thanks to the influence of my own little fashion guru Tavi Gevinson of the Style Rookie, I was lucky to be exposed to the wonders of the Summer/ Spring collection for 2012 from 'Creatures of the Wind'. Unfortunately there's very little given information about this fashion label, as far as I know their earliest collection was from Spring/ Summer 2011 but there must have been an earlier beginning of toil and hardship as well as breaking into the world of fashion to become the shiny beacon of hope they've become today.
I quite like the simplistic presentation of the models- they all seem to be placed within the exact point in each frame of the photograph and share the same distinctive and heavy brows in comparison to their near and delicately featured faces. There's also the thin strapped shoes worn with socks in a variety of contrasting colours as well as lengths depending on the lengths of the skirts and dresses in question. I love the feminine pleated skirts and floral prints from this collection- there's something so wild and colourful about them but the structure is tame and very familiar.
I felt terribly unsettled by the fake tan and deep set features of this model shown above- although I'm in love with the lace see-through and pink combination as well as orange socks and green strappy shoes One can't help but think a more neutral and less angry expression from the model would have helped sell the image of the brand a little better. Still, I don't think that anything could really deter me from a dress combining pink and blue together with lace inserts and rose motifs. It's the dress I imagine the mother of Alice in Wonderland wearing for a tea party which sens her daughter into a psychotic episode/ comatose.
The difficult thing about the presentation of collections in such a manner is that it's hard to know when a dress and blouse combination is worn together or it's a singular dress- especially when a jacket is worn over the top. Still, I am intrigued by this pink lace skirt, the small blocked section of floral material and the white top half of the dress. I wouldn't mind having something like this hanging around my wardrobe should I ever be called upon for an interview with a fashion company about my blog and written articles.
I think this was the quirky image that caught my eye and attracted my attention to the small collection of images hosted on the Style Rookie- the dress and smock/ kaftan style from the 1960s is so familiar but the glasses and eye wear with inbuilt forehead is new and modern. The trailing threads at the bottom hemline of the dress seems ripped and fraying but it lends me the idea of buying something plain in the same structure and taking up the sleeves and hem for my own curious and sinister purposes. I feel I should point out that the glasses shown above are very similar to the main image shown in the background of the Creatures of the Wind home site- with slight variation on the lens colour and the use of plastic gems. It's all very psychedelic and groovy, isn't it?
Although I do at times disagree with the casting for the Creatures of the Wild Summer/ Spring 2012 collection I adore the styling of this outfit and would love to buy the jacket and dress combination this very day (if I had the money to throw around). The shade of pink used isn't exactly fluorescent but the hue goes so well with the floral tones of blue and pink sleeves, hemline as well as collar of the jacket. The grey socks and white strapped shoes give that air of sophistication to such a bright and eccentric ensemble. Now if only I had somewhere to wear them my life would be complete... 
It must be the combination of that rose lace effect in blue over contrasting pink for this jacket that draws me into this jacket- normally I wouldn't be attracted to tartan prints unless there was red, black and taffeta involved but this jacket is as dapper as it is sweet and looks wonderful worn with a plain pleated skirt- easily found in any vintage shop in any Western country. They would look even better worn with a pair of thickset glasses to really hype up the dapper and hipster appeal of ones outfit.
Although the Creatures of the Wind collection is plain and minimalist in some of their clothing for this resort collection, it's the imaginative use of head wear as well as ornaments and colourful pieces that really catches my eye. I always find that a collection being limited to the same shades of colours and pallet bores me unless there's imaginative use of structure and variation for dresses, tops and skirts to keep my interest keen. I'm most impressed with the variety of pink as well as the contrasting looks that creatures of the Wind has created in their neat collection presentation.
I love photographic and printed patterns on silk, including the jackets from Limedrop famously worn by fashion blogger Susie Bubble of the Style Bubble, but I think in terms of colour as well as variety of pattern this silk jacket worn witha pink smock dress takes the cake. The clashing of blue floral as well as strong geometric black and white works surprisingly well when worn with another strong blocking colour such as the fuchsia pink shown above. The distinction between patterns for the sleeves and main body of the jacket also creates an interesting visual link of staircases and Escher amongst a sea of black and white lines.
Once again, Creatures of the Wind proves that you don't need to match two pieces together to create a dazzling outfit, much in the way my fashion hero Tavi as well as Brooke Kao and Susie Bubble disregard clashing patterns and colours. The shade of blue is so royal for the shirt and the structure lends itself well to being worn with the high waisted skirt that goes past the knee. There's midriff appeal and a waist visible but the lace insert skirt and contrast between lime green and aqua tones the look down and gives it a vintage appeal. The wild and kooky glasses also remind me of the youthful eclecticism Tavi Gevinson so readily brings about any of her online publications and projects.
Wild, modern and with a hint of The Matrix about it, I adore this jacket and blouse combination, it's like a breathe of fresh air tainted with electronics as well as professor Frankenstein. Black and bright green are simply made for each other but this chic and formal ensemble is such a surprise but I can't feel but be completely taken with the imagination and sinister nature of the two worn together. Sibling London released a collection featuring playful fluorescent green knitwear but there's the soft and feminine structure about this jacket as well as hints of yellow and green in amongst the uneven splotches that I just love.
The purple hemline peaking out from under the white dinner jacket shown above reminds me so much of the vintage kimono and Japanese textured jackets I've been hinting online for the past month or so and the pastel streaks of eyeliner and golden mask only emphasise that cultural influence in the design of this collection. I just wish there was an online store for Creatures of the Wind I could eyeball and stare longingly at to calculate how much I would need to work in order to find the perfect dress/ jacket from their collection. My only small and minute criticism about this mysterious label, that and the lack of information about the origins of this brand.
Longing to shy away from the sharp contrast of bright green and black? Seeking a flowing structure and loose witch-like appeal? Something I would love to one day wear is this tie-dye silk dress featuring moss coloured green and black and fluorescent green strappy heels to finish off the look. I'm sure an Olympia Le-Tan clutch is all that is needed to give the dress a runway appeal about it but with definitive grunge like appeal and an aesthetic of teenage angst. Despite all my heavy praise for other outfits and their well contrasting colours and patterns, this is my favourite outfit for the collection and I can't wait to hunt down a stockist available to help me let my fantasy dream of being a swamp witch a reality.
When the collection is finally launched on Net-a-Porter, you better watch out because I'll be aching to suss out the cheapest of the collection and maybe get myself a swish evening jacket. I really should be thinking of events such as masquerade galas to attend with friends and wild outfits to wear but it will be a while before I finally launch myself and become so sociable that I feel the need to impress everyone around me with amazing dress sense. Still, the kimono like marbling effect of purple and dark blue reminds me so much of oriental drawn clouds and it is rare enough as it is to find a pleasing patterned vintage kimono. Maybe I would be better off saving me pennies from something of this particular collection...
