Last season Fashionlines criticized Jonathan Saunders for renouncing his delightfully wispy chiffon creations in bright hues in favor of stiff architectural constructions in depressing browns, plums, grays and blacks. Indeed, the designer’s autumnal clothes featuring geometric patterns, psychedelic motifs, angular shoulders, boxy cuts and masculine details, were excessively sci-fi.

This season, in an attempt to prove he had not lost sight of the girly essence that made his earlier work a wild success Saunders attempted to go back to his roots. Evoking color and feminine silhouettes, he tried to make a case for vibrant femininity. The results of his stab at the challenge were mixed. He showed some cute pieces sprayed with polka dots, but overall his strange mélange of basket-weave gowns, floral print sleeveless columns, and tiered little dresses tightly corseted around the waist just did not make sense as a comprehensive collection.

Focusing on dresses is a good strategy for Saunders, but the skillful atelier needs to work on how he brings the different elements of his imagination and art together. As it is this line up of work is busy and awkward.

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