March 27, 2023 |
Nesting is “the tendency to arrange one’s immediate surroundings; to create a place where one feels secure, comfortable, and confident”. Maybe that’s a bedroom, a favourite pub or a workspace; for Edward Cuming, it’s his brand new design studio. He explains that his AW23 collection – aptly titled Nesting – began with the fresh space and in celebration of the milestones he’s reached. “I named the collection Nesting as the last few months have been just that: Slowly settling into a new, bigger environment as a team, really making the space our own by growing into it,” he says. “The AW23 offering reflects the overall change in our environment.”
This season sees the Australian-born, Madrid-based designer expand into newfangled shapes and surprising materials. “We’ve done extensive development [on those things],” he starts. “In particular, sourcing materials that resemble home furnishings.” Cuming, whose work is defined by an abundance of vibrant visual cues and challenging notions of normality, finds a balance between what casual and eveningwear, comfort and elegance, can and ought to be. Through rugged tailoring, circle cut-out shirts and jeans and asymmetrically draped dresses with pleats, ruffles and exposed seams, he toys with concepts of inversion, subverting expected silhouettes, defying traditional techniques, and highlighting imperfections for a wardrobe that showcases interchangeable styles. A silky triacetate fabric is used to re-imagine signature-style cutaway shape shirts and certain evening silhouettes; an inconspicuous sweatshirt material is recontextualised, becoming crisp pleated dresses and skirts with sparkling sequin appliqués; cardigans, scarfs and hats knitted in an artisanally striped brushed mohair; big, blown-up coats that completely envelope the body underneath. One particular piece – the CUM jeans – a “tongue-in-cheek” interpretation of a denim label are slouchy, low slung and casually sexy. The red washed-out jersey godet skirts are also a standout, with a special dye treatment they have the appearance of velvet through the lens of Cristina Stolhe’s camera.
A large shopper, a top handle and a cross-body bag are also created in collaboration with French luxury accessory design studio Dentro. Each satchel features Edward Cuming’s signature fabric manipulations and duo-colour cutouts, in the same silky triacetate as the evening wear, on the bag exterior and embodies distinct Dentro bag shapes. “Dentro is built on a similar appreciation for the un-done, showcasing the elements that are usually hidden, very similar to our approach, so the match was made in heaven,” the designer says. In keeping with that collaborative spirit, Cuming’s kicks were also the product of a link-up. Adam Signature – a Reggio Emilia-based dancer, painter, evident shoemaker and “real renaissance man,” in Cuming’s own words – created sleek handmade loafers, flip flops and heeled boots rife with subtle and beautiful imperfections. Cuming explains, “His shoes really accentuate the hand-made process in their finishing.” With a charming new turtle emblem that pays homage to a good luck charm given by a dear friend in the early days of the brand, and of course the new address, Edward Cuming is quickly solidifying himself as a name to watch.
Photography by Cristina Stolhe.
