Christopher Shannon SS12: A formal edge

Courtesy of Christopher Shannon

I remember how excited I was last season when I got my ticket for the FW11 Christopher Shannon show. When I attend shows of designers so talented that are only going to become bigger I feel like I'm sort of witnessing the making of fashion history. Yes, that is super corny, even wanky but that's the way it is.
So I was ecstatic when I got another invite in September for the SS12 show in London. I must admit that even though I loved the winter collection I couldn't quite see myself wearing it, which doesn't mean it wasn't wearable. In fact, it was way too hip for me to ever pull off. The new collection, however, has that super cool Shannon edge but it felt a lot more grown up. The combination of his signature patchwork of prints and colours seemed to work perfectly with the perfect tailored pieced that were still evidently inspired in sportswear. Some of my favourite pieces were the black shorts with the mother-of-pearl button details, the jumpers and t-shirts printed with photographs and the shoes, which the designer created in partnership with Swear.
Now I just can't wait for his pieces to hit Oki-ni and The Corner. Those sheer half checked, half plain shirts would be the perfect final touch to a smart suit look.

PS. Follow Christopher Shannon on twitter @shannonmenswear especially on a Saturday night. There is no better X-Factor commentary than his.