Review of Sportmax Fall 2022 Fashion Show
Blatant Power And Seduction
By Lizzy Bowring
Sportmax presented a dramatic collection today with a subversiveness that displayed power, strength, and seduction.
In a nod to Blade Runner, it was packed with sexual tension, Owen cuts, and power shoulders – Kenneth Richard
The femme fatale persona lies in all of us women, and it appears that Fall 22 is the season for an unadulterated expose of character. At Sportmax, these traits did not merely ’emerge’ but came propelled with a velocity unstrained through the seductive power of strong, dark, sculptural shapes. It was a perfect story for the brand’s in house design team to showcase their strong penchant for sartorial tailoring. These authoritarian complexes were seen right from the first dominatrix silhouette that stepped onto the runway, all to a soundtrack composed by Teho Teardo and interpreted by the voices of J.G. Thirwell and Olwen Fouere. The energy was palpable.
The show notes called it:
‘Dial S for…a hotline to Seduction and sensuality of powerful, erotic body-conscious silhouettes that transcend all and any cliches.
A sentence that plays right into the heart of Sportmax’s DNA – after all, when one references S/S 22, even the lingerie/ballet-inspired collection bore all the hallmarks of her bespoke sartorial cuts.
The team carved out exaggerated shoulders that accentuated slim waists with wasp-like proportions. The declaration of empowerment and the ensuing sartorial construction came from deeply engrained fetish ideals of the femme fatale. References were made to
“Lilith, the primordial she-demon and first wife of Adam, Kim Novak, the Hitchcock muse of Vertigo and Catherine Deneuve, the female predator of the Hunger Games,
these are the new sex symbols from an era that understood true Seduction. These past eras played a significant role in houses repertoire –
one could witness firsthand the seductive smokey references to the 40s bold shoulders, the body-hugging pencil skirts, and the seductive lines of ‘meet me after midnight” dresses.
Hourglass silhouettes came outlined in body-con materials that adhered like a second skin in some places, leaving little to the imagination, but there were some surprise elements. Sheer eroticism came displayed in necklines, exposing erogenous zones such as cutouts at midriffs, bare backs, and long, long legs.
There were corsetry-inspired details, and fabulous overcoats from under which one could flash a thigh-high bodysuit – well, that creates a whole other vibe!
The dresses were covetable – a jersey sheath dress, constructed with an asymmetrical slash, overtly bared a long leg reaching the upper thigh – no messing here. Elongated sculpted jackets with tailored darts used to control the nipped-in waists, came with trousers that puddled over boots. Underwear as outerwear continues as a strong trend (more than likely cemented from S/S 22 collections) and in the hands the in house team, it appears to be even more indelible as we march into the future. And as for the colours, they fell in line with the power of these silhouettes – twilight hues of black, midnight blue, coffee, and nude, with piercing splashes of fuchsia and vibrant red.
While accessories came to life in prints where the roar of the female tiger could be heard as she stalks her male opponent.
The narrative of this collection leaped off the runway in a seductive path – the perverse balanced with sophistication.
It may have been blatant and unexpected for the Sportmax following, but it was clever. Although 51 silhouettes are quite a handful to tell the story, 35 would have said it equally.
An ” S ” stands for many things, and today, this one stands for Sting! And there certainly was a seductive sting in Sportmax’s tail in this outing.