March 8, 2011 new brave world by Antonia Leslie Palais de Tokyo has been the venue for many of the shows this season. It's minimalist interior from the 1930's, with stone floors and very plain walls, was a perfect backdrop for the pared down collection of Costume National. The show started in a very monochrome way, but just as you were writing black and white in your note book, you looked up and there was the sharpest lemon or the calmiest cornflower blue. The use of colour details and combinations moved the show smoothly between 1950's teddy boys, Russian constructivism, 1960's and tv space unifroms. The very simple shapes, such as a line dresses or box tunics, were perfect for the strong use of block colour. It takes quite a brave woman to wear these looks but then we need the brave in a new world don't we. Costume National