Fall 2014 marked a major step forward for Mary Katrantzou — quite remarkable considering how far she’s come in a short amount of time. Not a print was present, and yet the collection felt every bit as loyal to Katrantzou as her digitally designed masterpieces.

“I started looking at uniforms,” she told Hint. “Boy Scouts, city-boy pinstripes, mechanics, bakers and butchers, construction workers. There were really only a couple of prints in the collection and they are very specialist engraved techniques.” That may sound like a predominantly masculine theme, but the designer was able to give those references a soft femininity, with embroidery, lacy appliqué, brocades, sweeping chainmail-like dresses.

There was also a distinct irreverence to the show — something that, at times, has felt compromised by the high-impact, instantly recognizable prints that represent each of Katrantzou’s collections. Here, there was an emerald-green oversized blazer and navy-blue wool pea coat that demonstrated the designer’s ability as a go-to for an all-around contemporary wardrobe. But fear not, Katrantzou fans, for there will always be an aesthetically astounding element to the designer, whether it’s an embroidered mink sweatshirt or a cocktail number. Impact, in its many forms, is something Katrantzou always delivers.