Buzz ‘n Sting. Words to avoid while taking about anything inspired by bees. Noted.

Jiri Kalfar set Kiev abuzz with his stinging collection at #MBFW

This blog began in a hive. My first review and #ReverseInspiration post were about bees. I am terrified by the scientific prospect of their extinction. Lately, the subject has been trump-ed … by more immediate debacles, yet the situation is dire. Just the past two weeks sounded alarms on droughts in Croatia and pesticides in Canada wreaking havoc on bee colonies amid tech-race for artificial pollination solutions. Sh*t is real.

So, when Jiri Kalfar turned to the plight of bees for his latest offering, I held my breath. Black and Gold. Shimmer and Sparkle. Workers and Queens. Buzz and Sting. When it comes to aesthetics, it’s pure Kalfardom. The collection delivers on glamour with his signature aplomb. You don’t have to be a supermodel to pull off this extravaganza, but it helps. Ok, you have to be a supermodel, at least a little bit, at heart… However, what sets Jiri apart from a swarm of his contemporaries is the intelligence with which he summons couture’s guardian spirits to turn potential glitter-mess into articulate manifestos. The way black silk ribbons tie off shirt cuffs as if straight-jacket restrains; how a winter scarf is styled into a coat sleeve on a body otherwise unprotected from the elements; the build up of black lace from a sexy decorative trim to a mid-show provocative veil to a full-on dress as a harbinger of heartache to come… (Note to self: add swarm to the no-go vocab list.)

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With this collection, Kalfar proves himself an astute navigator of both surface and depth. The facade is impeccable, but there is more than meets the eye should you choose to level with his philosophy and politics. Most would probably just opt for a really cool dress, full stop; same as most are unlikely to click on my bee-news links above. Yet, it’s all there. The good, the bad, the gorgeous. The complete story. And I wouldn’t Jiri it any other way!

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