INTRICATE DESIGNS FOR SPRING/SUMMER 2013

Beetle wings made from bugle beads, seams revealing surprising pops of color, sea creatures created from stones.  This is what comes from the mind of Mathieu Mirano, the 21-year old designer already hailed as one of the ones-to-watch.

In only his second presentation at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, Mirano is already drawing the kinds of crowds normally reserved for far better-known designers.  And it’s no wonder.  His designs are so intricate, his embellishments so complex and beautiful, what he creates is as much art as design.

A grey gown with a dinosaur skeleton design was absolutely mesmerizing, as was a green chiffon with bugle-beaded top.  But all this focus on art is not to say he doesn’t create wearable clothes.  He does.

He used crisp, clean whites in gowns, suits and shorts.  They were set off from the pops of yellow and a range of oranges.  But a silky silver sheath that revealed a bright yellow between the double seams was amazing to see.

There’s a reason why Mathieu Mirano is attracting so much attention, from writers to designers to the public.  He allows his imagination to run free, then backs up his cred with beautiful, functional clothes that just about anyone can wear.  He is definitely a designer worth watching.

Photography: Anton Brookes