Autumn/Winter 2010
1. "Turn him to any cause of policy,
The Gordian Knot of it he will unloose,
Familiar as his garter"
- Shakespeare, Henry V, Act 1 Scene 1. 45–47
The Greek kingdom of Phrygia (1200-700BC) was without a legitimate king when an oracle decreed that the next man to enter the city with the god-given sign of an eagle landing on his ox-cart should become their king.
Gordias, a poor peasant fulfilled the decree and was declared king by the priests.
In gratitude, his son Midas dedicated the ox-cart to the Phrygian god Sabazios and tied its shaft with an intricate knot of cornel bark.
The oracle further prophesized that the one to untie the knot would conquer Asia.
While wintering at Gordium in 333BC, Alexander the Great attempted to untie the knot which still stood in the palace of the former kings of Phrygia. Unable to find the end of the knot to unbind it, he sliced it in half with a stroke of his sword. Alexander proceeded to conquer Asia in 326 BC, fulfilling the prophecy.
Inspired by the Greek myth referenced in Shakespeare’s Henry V, Eugene Lin’s Autumn/Winter 2010 collection ‘The Gordian Knot’ is a unique translation of myth to magic.
Lin’s experience in patterns and mastery of deconstruction once again shines through in a stunningly executed second collection of dresses and separates as seemingly inextricable fastenings are solved by clever manipulation in Lin’s skillful hands.
Sumptuous jersey tops and dresses feature intricately draped and knotted details while tailored woven pieces contrast sharp angles and pocket features with soft deconstructed shapes.
The silhouette is smart, slim and refined, while outerwear exudes grandeur through volume.
The coarse wool-cashmere check echoes the bar, paired with luxurious Venetian wool and balanced with exquisite silk-viscose and cotton jerseys and finished with laser-engraved horn and shell buttons.
The dark palette is a harmony of black tones, gleaming charcoal and soft grays contrasting with the dazzling red accent - the colour of the Roman god of war, Mars.
