Bianca Saunders Makes Her PFW Debut With 'A Stretch'

The London-born designer makes the coveted journey across the Channel for her first Paris Fashion Week showcase.

Words by Coraly Langué.

Bianca Saunders has been showcasing her technical prowess since her very first collection as an RCA alum but this season, her first solo catwalk show as part of Paris Fashion Week, acts as a confident expression of maturity. For AW22, Saunders wanted to create a collection that exists, and perhaps flourishes, outside of the constraints of time; “[...]it could be now, it could be the past, it could be the future,” says the designer.

Saunders’ expert manipulation of traditional pattern cutting techniques takes centre stage this season. For this collection the London-born designer utilises two-dimensional trompe l’oeil effects to create dimension and movement, toying with motion and its relationship to the body. Warped check prints become three-dimensional, transforming the flat surface of a stretch top into a liquid checkerboard canvas. Outerwear is reengineered and loosely wrapped across the chest to hang as if pinned in place. Necklines are notched and sleeves pleated from shoulder to cuff, elaborating both a flatness when seen from the front and a palpable three-dimensional volume when seen from the side.

At this point in her career Bianca Saunders has demonstrated unmistakable flair and savoir-faire in the technical construction process, developing an aesthetic that is both timeless and unabashedly personal to her practice. At the crux of this process is a deep-set enthusiasm for experimentation, one that runs throughout all of the designer’s collections but perhaps most notably in this one. Suddenly, all trousers have been cut as if transposed to the right-hand side. Denim is oversized and folded, with a shifted fly and engineered seam, but is cut traditionally in the rear.

Ultimately, Bianca Saunders has created a collection of key pieces for this PFW debut. The garments serve as a personalised introduction to the designer’s ethos, with pieces that communicate seamlessly amongst themselves while also acting as standalone agents of Saunders’ design. Perhaps as a nod to the West Indian culture that she explored in previous collections, the designer reintroduces her now signature “REMEMBER THIS” scarf, a carefully placed reminder of the energy behind the brand.

Discover the collection below.