Preen's Justin Thornton and Thea Bregazzi are all about complement and contrast, juxtaposition and a duality even in difference - there are two of them after all.
This was shown off to great effect in their Spring/Summer 2015 collection, which blended African influences, sports detailing and a dose of eighties disco.
These diffuse themes were held together by strong neon inflections on black wrap dresses and cutaway blouse silhouettes. Gauzy chiffon and silk were draped and tied into halternecks like kanga sarongs, fringed with beading and elastic wraps, styled as tracksuit trim, that first became print and then approximated this label's famous bandaged body-con 'power dress'.
If that sounds eclectic then it was - but it was coherent too, underpinned by the innate understanding of their customer that these two designers have always had. The clothes were cool but accessible, bold without being showy and, above all, directional in a subtly chic way.
Preen does a fine line in making bad taste tasteful, in pushing the boundary of rehabilitation (a browse chintzy floral dress can be filed under this, see also: handkerchief hems) and, to quote their soundtrack, this morning they pushed it real good.
