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Menswear and Womenswear Inspired by Natural History

Read more about Serpent & the Swan, or view recent Serpent & the Swan Collections on Australian Fashion Review Blog.

The lonely, sun-bleached bones of a long-passed animal resting on a dusty desert floor, the downy feathers of a silken swallow which catch the light, and rough-hewn weapons from a primitive life. – Serpent & the Swan.

For the Spring/Summer 2011-2012 collection, entitled Into the Sun, Hayley and Lauri Smith, the designers behind Serpent and the Swan, were inspired by a visit to the American Natural History Museum on a recent trip to New York, exploring the scences of taxidermy, ancient tools, insects and tribal jewellery. The natural material worn by our ancestors in reflected in the use of natural linen, suede and leather; crystal and mineral artifacts are mirrored in gold foil chiffon; and ancient weapons, as well as skulls, bones and wolf heads, feature as the signature trims of the collection.

The colour theme of the collection was inspired by harsh dusty desert lands and dry sun bleached animal bones. The colour palette is typically muted, consisting of black, slate grey, sand, taupe and clay, with punctuations of pistachio green and metallic gold.

The womenswear line features the signature Serpent & the Swan layering and drapery mixed with on-trend cutout detailing seen in mini and maxi dresses, tops and shorts, which have been designed to be versatile. Sleek, feminine tailoring is also featured throughout the womenswear collection, with stand out pieces including a dramatic hooded, cropped cape with fob chain and a suiting jackt with long sheer tail.

The menswear line features plenty of washed cotton with contrasting detailing – the shirt of the season comes with a leather collar and a tomahawk button detail, which is better worn buttoned to the neck. While basics are given an extra dimension with spider web inspired seams featuring on t-shirts and shorts.

So without further ado, we present the Spring/Summer 2011-2012 collection…enjoy!

Visit the official Serpent & the Swan website, here.

If you enjoyed the Spring/Summer 2011-2012 collection from Serpent & the Swan, check out the seasonal collections from Rittenhouse, United Constructions and Arj Selvam.

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