Backstage after her first solo NZFW show last night, Liz Turner of Riddle Me This seemed remarkably lively for a girl who’s been living in a whirlwind of creation, creativity and creating these past few weeks. Like her collection, By B.B. Bang, the young designer – only 23 – clearly has a knack for reconciling “young and crazy” with “balanced”.
Turner designs for creative young women much like herself, and it was breath of fresh air to see the first model come out looking just that – a teenage girl, not trying to be older, but reveling in the wild, experimental years of youth. Zara Mirkin’s (stylist and former women’s designer for that other rebellious young label, Stolen Girlfriends’ Club) styling was as killer as we would expect: pink and green-stained hair, clear plastic chokers, cat’s-eye glasses, even sellotape wrapped around bare bellies. This wasn’t a show for wallflowers.
And the clothes? If you were a kid who listened to Courtney Love at full blast back in the ‘90s, then this might sound familiar. A succession of girly-grungy dresses in eclectic, consciously contrasted fabrics opened the show. Tavi Gevison (aka The Style Rookie) would have loved it: the mix of sheer burgundy, red tartans, houndstooth checks and pastel denims would be right up her alley, as would be the Peter Pan collars and skater skirts.
From the first outfit, knitted mesh was a recurring feature – first as an accent as sleeves, and then becoming the focus, appearing as a top and a full length dress. I loved the underwear worn underneath– tan and navy striped cotton – but think Turner would understand if you chose to add a slip.
The idea for By B.B. Bang came to Turner after discussing the concepts of creation and religion with a group of science-minded friends. With this collection, she wanted to explore the idea of the two opposing beliefs working together in harmony. Best capturing this is the custom textile print designed by Alexis Anne MacKenzie. From a distance, it looks a bit like a planet being born – a mini big bang – but up close it’s actually a collage of Garden-of-Eden themed icons, like a little golden pear and vine leaves. My favourite piece had to be the shift dress in this same fabric – broken into a layered top and bottom section, held together by black mesh.
My teenage years might be behind me but I could see a lot that was both wearable and covetable in this collection. Altogether it was an accomplished show from a promising young designer – I sincerely hope we see her again next year.
CLICK HERE to view Riddle Me This NZFW12 – Runway
– Delaney MacDonald
Images: Giana Patel
