Sado fuk@lfw s/s 08

Carlotta Gherzi and Evan Del Franco hail from Italy but their Sado womenswear label is based in London and has previously shown at Moscow Fashion Week. This season marked the London Fashion Week debut for the pair and despite an eclectic range of influences - literally: artists Tamara Lempicka and Jim Morrison's former girlfiend Pamela Courson are both cited - this is a credible collection with plenty of points of interest.

Central Saint Martin's artist Ben Stevenson created a print based on what happened when he put fabric from the collection inside a paino. For real! Sounds daft, but the black etchings on silk makes for a stunning print which is used here in a loose kaftan-esque dress with tie-sleeves. Sado's vertical stripe print in brown and black (which could almost be a tweed) is combined with other fabrics including lurex and chiffon, to great effect. The 1920s meets Studio 54 with a dash of contemporary sportswear - this is how it felt to watch. So we have luxurious ivory silk dresses that danced along the catwalk, silver blouson frocks and then a hint of peasant with linen dresses. Ruching is a feature and Sado's sleeve-less white ruched tops a statement piece in themselves.

The cape dresses are a triumph, made from what looks like silk jersey these easy-flowing frocks transformed before us in one slick move into a cape/jacket that was integrated. Genius! Carlotta told us that they designed these jacket/dresses because it is not always easy to carry a jacket and our unpredictable weather means you never know when you might need a bit of coverage, whatever the season. These are the sort of garments that jumped right off the catwalk, hopefully they will become a Sado signature that gets reworked each season. I really want one (roll on the Sado sample sale!).

Metallics dominate the colour palette which includes bronze and silver and gold. Prints include abstract geometrical patterns and a repeated bow in pink on a white dress with soft brown touches. Several outfits are accessorised with ruffled chiffon worn as a hairbands and belts draped across dresses. Sado ss08 is glamorous, imaginative and very well made and presents a vision of a woman totally in control. Let's hope they stay in London.

www.sadofashion.com

Words: Marian Buckley
Photos: David Jones