The Pet Shop Boys might have sang “It’s a Sin” from the speakers during the finale, but the clothes on show were absolutely heavenly. Edward Crutchley’s AW19 collection was a rhapsody of textiles, cuts and silhouettes, taking the best of the past and creating the best of the future. Crutchley has an eye of a fashion historian and that nostalgic approach flourished throughout the shows.
Taking daytime looks and transforming them into the night, he focused on the idea of “sexy appropriateness”. His own version of occasionwear, printed silky pyjamas reminisced of the 1980s, with longline overcoats and roomy jackets layered on top. And then there were the standouts, the true statement pieces – a coat and a cape, with a symbol of the eagle embroidered to finest detail. A little bit of Americana, a little bit of Japan, and a lot of everything else.
The millinery, designed in collaboration with the legendary Stephen Jones riffed on the traditional Balinese headwraps as well as Korean gats, completing the multi-culti look. His silhouettes might come from all over the world yet the final look carries a sense of here and now. And that’s what wins in these times when a lot of creatives avoid multicultural inspirations, perhaps in fear being accused of appropriating them. But there’s no mistake – Edward Crutchley’s mind belongs to the cosmopolitan spirit of London.
Photo by Jason Lloyd-Evans
