Fashion Week Invitations: Womenswear S/S 2011

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They say you should never judge a book by its cover, but we think that fashion week invitations are a reliable barometer of what to expect from the respective shows. This year’s batch came in an array of designs and materials. Some designs were pleasingly pared back, while others were exuberantly coloured, but all were, without exception, as meticulously executed as the clothes they represented.

View from above of various Fashion Week S/S 2011 Womenswear invitations pictured against a grey background

(Image credit: TBC)

A kaleidoscopic collection of all our favourite invitations from the S/S 2011 Womenswear Collections

Front view of Acne's black and white invitation pictured against a grey background

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Acne (front) sent out a thick black-foiled invitation card.

Back view of Acne's invitation pictured against a grey background

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On the reverse of the Acne invitation card, our fashion director’s hand-written name was underlined with purple foil.

Front view of Jil Sander’s orange invitation pictured against a grey background

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Jil Sander’s fluorescent invitation reflected the sizzling-coloured collection.

Inside view of Jil Sander’s invitation pictured against a grey background

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Jil Sander's invitation opened to reveal a shocking-pink interior.

Front view of Pringle of Scotland’s negative style invitation pictured against a grey background

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Pringle of Scotland’s white-foiled card featured a stylised negative image of a scene from the label's latest advertising campaign, shot near Nairn.

Back view of Pringle of Scotland’s invitation pictured against a grey background

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Pringle of Scotland (reverse).

View of Fendi’s scorch effect invitation pictured against a grey background

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Fendi’s invitation appeared scorched – as did the collection - thanks to dyed, laser-cut organza.

Front view of Versus’ multicoloured floral and geometric invitation pictured against a grey background

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Versus’ floral offering echoed both the micro-prints and the abundance of geometric shapes in the collection.

Back view of Versus’ invitation pictured against a grey background

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Versus' invitation (reverse).

View of Richard Nicoll’s black and white invitation pictured against a grey background

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Richard Nicoll’s invitation was screen-printed on vinyl with the print appearing in retro typewriter typography.

View of Emilio Pucci's stitched tan leather invitation pictured against a grey background

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From Emilio Pucci came a piece of tan stitched leather with gold embossed lettering.

View of Marni's yellow invitation pictured against a grey background

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Marni sent out a simple, glossy and sunny card.

Front view of Versace's red invitation pictured against a grey background

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Versace

Inside view of Versace's invitation pictured against a grey background

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Versace

View of Giorgio Armani’s blue invitation pictured against a grey background

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Giorgio Armani’s blue, fabric-covered invitation set the tone for a marine-coloured show that was big on texture.

Front view of Margaret Howell's black and white invitation pictured against a grey background

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Margaret Howell sent a fold-out poster that opened out to reveal the crinkled surface of a shirt.

Inside view of Margaret Howell's invitation pictured against a grey background

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The inside of Margaret Howell's folded invitation was patterned with a shirt's crinkles.

View of Church’s white embellished invitation pictured against a grey background

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Church’s stiff-board invitation was decorated with the pattern of a brogue shoe embossed with silver-foiled bubbles.

View of Sass & Bide’s black, white and raffia straw invitation pictured against a grey background

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The stiff-board invitation to Sass & Bide's 'Papa Sucre' collection was capped by a tangle of crinkly raffia straw.

Inside view of Prada's invitation pictured against a grey background

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A nondescript cardboard exterior folded open to reveal Prada's deep blue invitation.

View of Gucci's brown, white and gold two-part invitation pictured against a grey background

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Gucci's rigorously duo chromatic invitation.

View of the text side of Giles Deacon's pink label invitation which is attached to a pair of black sunglasses made out of paper. The invitation is pictured against a grey background

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Giles Deacon's invitation came on a label attached to a paper version of his trademark sunglasses

View of the illustration side of Giles Deacon's pink label invitation which is attached to a pair of black sunglasses made out of paper. The invitation is pictured against a grey background

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The reverse of the label featured a cheeky cartoon character

Front view of Céline's black and white invitation pictured against a grey background

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Céline's double-paper stock invitation was reinforced by thick card

Back view of Céline's invitation pictured against a grey background

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Céline

Front view of Fendi's black and gold invitation pictured against a grey background

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Fendi's black and gold offering

Back view of Fendi's invitation pictured against a grey background

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On the reverse, guest performers Duran Duran's name came emblazoned in a thick, fluorescent glossy print

Front view of Chanel's black and white invitation featuring a multicoloured flower pictured against a grey background

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Chanel's floral offering

Inside view of Chanel's invitation pictured against a grey background

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Chanel

Front view of Emanuel Ungaro's white embossed invitation pictured against a grey background

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Emanuel Ungaro's embossed logo adorned triplexed board with a subtle pink rim

Back view of Emanuel Ungaro's invitation pictured against a grey background

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Emanuel Ungaro

View of Stella McCartney's silver invitation featuring colourful letters pictured against a grey background

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The designer's first name was spelt out in fluorescent elastic bands on a thick silver card, with purple edging, on the Stella McCartney invitation

View of Junya Watanabe's tissue paper invitation pictured against a grey background

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Junya Watanabe's delicate tissue paper offering

View of Miu Miu's white and yellow invitation pictured against a grey background


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The Miu Miu invitation featured bold, embossed blocks of fluorescent yellow...

View of Miu Miu's white and yellow invitation envelope pictured against a grey background


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...as did the envelope

Front view of Loewe's peach invitation pictured against a grey background

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One side of Loewe's extra thick, gilt-edged card had a leather-like texture...

Back view of Loewe's invitation pictured against a grey background

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...while the other featured simple, printed pink paper

View of Wunderkind's white stapled invitation pictured against a grey background

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Wunderkind's multi-paper stock invitation came erratically stapled together

View of one side of Givenchy’s invitation pictured against a grey background. This side features leopard print, string and black text on a white card

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Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci's offering incorporated a dye-cut, detachable woman's face in leopard print...

View of the other side of Givenchy’s invitation pictured against a grey background. This side features a shot of a rocky beach and a cut out of a woman's face

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...while the reverse featured a rocky beach scene

Front view of Louis Vuitton's black and gold invitation pictured against a grey background

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Louis Vuitton's gold-foiled fabric card invitation

Back view of Louis Vuitton's invitation pictured against a grey background

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Louis Vuitton

View of Hermès' bluey green leather invitation pictured against a grey background

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Hermès sent out a leather invitation with a hole-punched logo and debossed lettering

View of Ackermann's black and blue debossed invitation pictured against a grey background

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Ackermann's invitation came emblazoned with a super-glossy, blue paint logo, with black debossed show details

View of Neil Barrett's black and white invitation featuring an envelope pictured against a grey background. The envelope is closed hiding the details of the event

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Once again, Neil Barrett made the envelope a feature by outsizing the card

Alternative view of Neil Barrett's black and white invitation featuring an envelope pictured against a grey background. The envelope is open revealing the details of the event

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Neil Barrett

Front view of John Galliano's black, white and purple illustrated invitation pictured against a grey background

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John Galliano's canvas invitation featured a moody sketch of a woman's face

Back view of John Galliano's invitation pictured against a grey background

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The show details came printed on the back

Front view of Yohji Yamamoto's glossy black invitation pictured against a grey background

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At first glance, the Yohji Yamamoto invitation looked like a simple, glossy back card with a mysterious dye-cut strip...

Alternative view of Yohji Yamamoto's invitation featuring a separate strip with the event details. The invitation is pictured against a grey background

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...but, when you pulled on the subtly protruding back strip, it revealed a glittery blaze of colour

Front view of the Hermès and Colette collaboration invitation pictured against a grey background. The invitation features a repeating image plus white text and an orange heart on a black diagonal strip in the middle of the card

(Image credit: TBC)

The Hermès and Colette collaboration invitation incorporated images of their limited edition scarves

Back view of the Hermès and Colette collaboration invitation pictured against a grey background

(Image credit: TBC)

The reverse came printed in the style of an old-school label maker

Jack Moss
Fashion Features Editor

Jack Moss is the Fashion Features Editor at Wallpaper*, joining the team in 2022. Having previously been the digital features editor at AnOther and digital editor at 10 and 10 Men magazines, he has also contributed to titles including i-D, Dazed, 10 Magazine, Mr Porter’s The Journal and more, while also featuring in Dazed: 32 Years Confused: The Covers, published by Rizzoli. He is particularly interested in the moments when fashion intersects with other creative disciplines – notably art and design – as well as championing a new generation of international talent and reporting from international fashion weeks. Across his career, he has interviewed the fashion industry’s leading figures, including Rick Owens, Pieter Mulier, Jonathan Anderson, Grace Wales Bonner, Christian Lacroix, Kate Moss and Manolo Blahnik.

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