Marques Almeida wants to be unshackled. After a rave success of their Hotel Chelsea-inspired collection last season, the duo seemed ready to break free and experiment with a collection that is less image building, more introspective. The show was described as "a private collection." Oversized outwear with loose fastenings brought to mind a straight jacket undone -- a nice metaphor for the designers’ onward direction. Still bearing strong references to 90's grunge and exploring the multiple applications of raw denim, Spring Summer 15 witnessed a progression to more asymmetrical styles and a whole lot of psychedelic crystals. 

Colour-wise, there was a preponderance of dark shades, occasionally intercepted by euphoric crystal hues. Panels of silk chiffon were either patched together or ruched with drawstrings to form dresses that bore a devil-may-care attitude. Sheer, by now certainly a strong trend, came in the form of layering light silk and ruffles. Bare chests were veiled ever so slightly, breaking the rigidity of the denim. As for the statement pieces which were a hit last season, wooden clogs with snakeskin straps were the must-haves.

It was a bold move by the designer duo to look inwards for this season. The focus on more complex construction and working within the themes that they have rightly owned is a sign of maturity that is sometimes rare to come by with emerging designers. But the show was still just as enigmatic and alluring: the duo said, "the dark, difficult poetry of PJ Harvey's music is the only tangible signpost."