Mary Katrantzou didn't shy away from her signature look; in fact, she turned up the dial on the bold prints she's become known for — the same ones she's crafted for her own Topshop collaboration. Her Fall '12 collection had no shortage of neoprene color, nor full-bodied patterns crafted in the most sculptural of silhouettes and body-conscious forms. Katrantzou revealed to The New York Times that her way with print is not without purpose: "With print, it is about educating the customer to try it on and see what it does with the silhouette . . . trying to do with print what a black dress would do onto their body. And it works!" If you see the line through her eyes you begin to understand her body-conscious strategy. It's not just about the whimsy of the print; every detail of design works together to highlight the shape of a woman. You see that in color choice, in silhouette, and in the widening or narrowing of her patterns — how it may open up in a cheeky timepiece at the waist, but taper in a tighter pattern at the hip; you can't discount even the smallest details when taking in the collection. But the whole is greater than the sum of its parts — Mary is a master of illusion with a talent for print-making that makes this collection not just playful, but oh so smart.
