Malene Oddershede Bach SS12 - One To Watch

Written by Louise Frost. Photos by Lin Vitali.

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

Malene Oddershede Bach s/s 2012

Danish designer Malene Oddershede Bach first caught the eye of the fashion world with her beautiful a/w collection earlier this year, and has since captivated audiences again with her recent s/s 2012 collection, which showcased during London Fashion Week last month. She has been rightfully recognised as One To Watch – both officially by the Vauxhall Fashion Scout and, as a result, increasingly by expert fashion sources around the world.

Malene Oddershede Bach's spring collection comprised a series of floor-length dresses, tailored suits, and tea dresses, occasionally accompanied by leather jackets and belts. While this sounds initially quite unremarkable, the beauty and originality of the collection lay in the detail, and unusual mix of styles and materials used in each piece. Oddershede Bach focused on form in two different ways, with her dresses either sculpting the models’ bodies through cutout detailing around the neck, shoulders and chest, or accentuating length with layered, floor-length material used underneath shorter dresses. Textures varied too, ranging from heavier leathers to soft wool, lightweight cotton and silk-like fabrics, as well as thicker materials (which resembled oilcloth), used to make some of the snakeskin print jackets, tops and dresses.

One To Watch - Malene Oddershede Bach presents SS12 collection, London Fashion Week. See more images from Malene Oddershede Bach catwalk.

The majority of Oddershede Bach’s colour choices fell somewhere in between the extremes of acid brights and pastel tones, in shades of bright yellow, aquamarine blue and hot pink, which were bold without being overwhelming – a potential danger given the wide array of fabrics used. Black was also incorporated into a couple of the outfits, highlighting the great attention to detail where elaborate beaded embellishment was used. The collection wasn’t complicated but contained plenty of unusual details to ensure that it stood out, fully warranting Oddershede Bach's status as a designer to watch.

Oddershede Bach’s spring designs mark a shift in direction from her last collection, yet it is clear that her trademark styles (if you can call them that – she is still a relatively new name in the fashion realm) are all there; the structured layering, love of leather, and experimentation with different fabrics and textures. There is evidently unique thought and inspiration behind each feature of her designs, making it all the more interesting to see what ideas the promising young designer will conjure up for next season.