Photojournalist Syd Shelton and his rousing imagery of Britain’s Rock Against Racism (RAR) movement in the 1970s were the cornerstone for Av Vattev’s AW24 collection. Embodying the grit of the campaign, which emerged as a reaction to rising racist attacks throughout the UK, the offering was entitled Superculture, nodding to the influence of activism born from non-political spheres. Aiming to mirror the rebellious, empowering and unifying energy of Shelton’s work, each look nodded to a range of movements from the ’60s up until the present day.
Instrumental figures from the British rock scene like Mick Jagger and Liam Gallagher, who have become key elements in Av Vattev’s design lexicon, were used as direct sources of inspiration. By importing Vattev’s distinctive Jukebox closures onto fabrics such as dark brown pinstriped satin, the Sarabande designer evoked memories of Françoise Hardy’s iconic 1965 portrait where she posed alongside the Rolling Stones frontman. A reimagined rugby shirt nods to Jagger’s outfit in the same image, now presented in two updated brown and blue colourways instead of the original mustard and navy. Parkas, oversized knitwear and shirts with anorak-esc edits salute Oasis’s debaucherous singer, while the stamp of the brand’s signature thistle motif prompts onlookers to appreciate its distinct take.
References to broader subcultures take form in baggy jeans with a muddy brown spray-on effect reminiscent of a night spent raving and the lax bombers that hung off the backs of the 1960s Skinhead community. Dusty pink, chocolate brown and black with a slick, silvery sheen were in frequent use with the occasional bright purple or teal detailing giving the offering a fresh feel.
Photography courtesy of Av Vattev.
