White on white prescribed the clinical influence highly apparent within the Spring 2011, Menswear collection by Ann Demeulemeester. I was fascinated by this collection, perhaps due to the notion that if I were not in fashion, medicine would be my next career option. The sterile atmosphere, achieved through the restraint of using a blank colour palette, allowed texture and garment details to speak for the collection. I am always drawn to a restrained design aesthetic, I wouldn’t go so far as to say that I am a minimalist, however I am constantly allured by design which shows constraint yet remains intriguing. Flicking through the following images on style.com, the jacket with shoulder fastening presented upon the screen, I found myself instantly envisaging the face of my dentist, Dr Tim Hall with torture tools in hand. For me this reminiscent element provided a comedic facet to the pristine range. The collection also provides an interesting slant on tailoring and how it is defined. Do these items meet the prescribed classifications of a tailored garment and if not, why? Personally, I think that their relevance lies within the overall structure and silhouette of the garments. Technically, it is the openings and their fastenings which really provokes my curiosity. The asymmetric jacket, when left unbuttoned, cascades down the torso in a really beautiful manner. I always struggle with the visual appearance of unbuttoned jackets which pass the centrefront, such as the double breasted jacket, I usually find them awkward and cumbersome, however, this piece works its unfastened stance just as well as buttoned.
