Kilian Kerner's boyish charm and girly evening-wear consistently carried his weaker work from season to season. However, Kerner has clearly matured. His menswear remains unformed yet his womenswear displays a strikingly grown-up and sophisticated sensibility. He sagely abandoned his standard shocking pink, violet and ruby palette for layers of muted shades and neutrals. His artful inlays bounced and floated gracefully against models' bodies and slits in simple bone-coloured shifts exposed slivers of seductive grey chiffon. The overall effect was mysterious and intriguing. Yet the undisputed highlight were a series of dresses featuring back-brushed gold sequins. The glittering but gritty material artfully caught the light and captured our attention. Kerner regressed towards the end. Yet, overlooking the silly grape-coloured suede and chiffon dress featuring a protruding heart-shaped bodice, Kerner has still graduated from baby steps to big boy strides.
by Ana Finel Honigman
