AW13 Collection by Carlotta Actis Barone

"Carlotta Actis Barone AW13 catwalk images by Lin Vitali, Review by Rhiannon Chown.

Note: The author's views are entirely his or her own and may not reflect the views of RetoxMagazine.com

Carlotta Actis Barone

Striking yet understated, audacious yet feminine: just some of the words that describe the stunning autumn winter 2013 collection by Carlotta Actis Barone. The minimalistic monochrome colour palette is balanced perfectly by the daring and intricate designs of the garments.

This collection is unlike any other collection I’ve ever seen. I must admit, usually when I’m confronted with a collection without bright colours I flick straight past it without really giving it a second thought. Yes I realise this may make me seem like I have the attention span of a small child but it’s true.

However, something about this collection caught my eye. Perhaps it was the bold designs: some of the dresses look as though they’d fit in perfectly in a modern art gallery with their dynamic lines and block shapes. Not surprising really seeing as the collection is inspired by the Italian artist Manuela Corti.

Or maybe it was the genius combination of the almost dominatrix style structuring paired with the flowing ladylike accents to create fantastically edgy and elegant garments that seized my attention. Either way, it definitely got me looking and that’s what got me excited.

It astounds me how smoothly Carlotta Actis Barone has transitioned between the girly and authoritative features in her designs. Floaty pleated skirts are very rarely successfully matched with structured patent blocks, let alone mixed up into one fabulous dress; yet she has managed to create a whole collection formed purely of these incredible creations.

Better yet, a decent percentage of her designs are actually wearable on a day to day basis – in other words, they’re not utterly ridiculous – whilst still being utterly dazzling and guaranteed to turn heads.

So here’s the roundup: Carlotta Actis Barone’s autumn winter 2013 collection is an incredibly elegant and boundary-pushing ensemble that deserves some serious recognition. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for her in the future – you’d be crazy not to.

Carlotta Actis Barone Catwalk Images

Carlotta Actis Barone AW13/14 Catwalk Show, London Fashion Week; collection outfits 1 and 2.

Carlotta Actis Barone AW13/14 Catwalk Show, London Fashion Week; collection outfits 3 and 4.

Carlotta Actis Barone AW13/14 Catwalk Show, London Fashion Week; collection outfits 5 and 6.

Carlotta Actis Barone AW13/14 Catwalk Show, London Fashion Week; collection outfits 7 and 8.

Carlotta Actis Barone AW13/14 Catwalk Show, London Fashion Week; collection outfits 9 and 10.

Carlotta Actis Barone AW13/14 Catwalk Show, London Fashion Week; collection outfits 11 and 12: close-up and full-length front view.

Carlotta Actis Barone AW13/14 Catwalk Show, London Fashion Week; collection outfits 13 and 14.

Carlotta Actis Barone AW13/14 Catwalk Show, London Fashion Week; collection outfits 15 and 16: close-up and full-length front view.

Carlotta Actis Barone AW13/14 Catwalk Show, London Fashion Week; collection outfits 17 and 18: full-length front and close-up view.

Carlotta Actis Barone AW13/14 Catwalk Show, London Fashion Week; collection outfits 19 and 20.