Roving Reporter : Jonathan Saunders

I love him! I have been fascinated by Jonathan Saunders (let's just call him JS) for awhile now. On my last shoot (which will be on Zoozoom.com soon) was my first chance to really get up-close and personal with a little bit of JS magic. Now I'm hooked.

Carrying on from his S/S09 collection, prints had a futuristic-tribal feel. The models looked like they had fireworks exploding in a multitude of colours all over them - stunning.

As usual, Saunders garments had a clear structural element, with strong panelling and silhouettes. Waistlines curved under the belly, while sleeves often had two or three tiers.

Clad in black opaque tights and platform heels, models had their hair covered by swimcap-like black hats. This collection was all about the clothes, and nothing dared detract from them.

There was a mixture of extremely commercial pieces, (rainbow-print tea dresses, leather biker jackets and monochrome party pieces) and more innovative silhouettes. Again, strong shoulders were key, but nature was referenced more than the 80s. Layered shoulders, both draped and tiered, created shapes that reminded me of ladybirds preparing for flight. These oversized shoulders were in stark contrast to the nipped-in waists.

Dress lengths were either thigh-skimming or full-length, while sleeves tended to be fitted to the wrist.

Although shoulders were not directly 80s-inspired, the textile king did seem to let flashes of the decade seep through. Fabric appeared to be a version of sparkly lurex (I can't 100% confirm fabric type, but you get the feel) in metallic hues of red, blue, yellow, lime, silver and gold (not for the shy and retiring female).

Again, cut-outs featured, with bare sweethearts at necklines and 80s-style, body-con, floor length dresses that reminded me of 'that' Liz Hurley Versace dress. Layering was also a key look, with sparkly polo necks worn underneath dresses.

A really strong collection that developed some of his strongest S/S09 pieces to a new level for fall. I love the innovative fabrics, which after all is why Fash Pack has a crush on JS!