How many colours are on a wing of a dragonfly? Hien Le opened the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin with a coherent collection of men’s and women’s wear inspired by striking natural phenomenon. Pared-down and clean as his (much beloved) style is, Le succeeded in paying homage to the awe-inspiring richness of Mother Nature, most of which we simply can’t perceive with the naked eye. “I wanted to subvert the gaze and explore colours that exist in nature, but that are hued more complexly than we can perceive,” he told Sleek after the show. The runway opened with key looks bearing elaborate prints, with hints of wings and creatures running across bomber jackets, dresses and shirts. “It’s a dragonfly,” he explained backstage, “an image of a dragonfly was the starting point, and we de-familiarised it digitally to achieve this effect.” Like a prism reflecting a multitude of translucent colours, the dragonfly prints served in a way as a segue into the looks that followed: clean numbers featuring a natural palette beginning with foundation pigments gradually transformed into subtle tonal variations. Merging magnificent colours with the talented young designer’s unique minimalism in cuts and silhouettes made for a strong collection with quite a few covetable pieces. Next summer, let the natural spectrum adorn the streets of Berlin.