February 24, 2025 |
Conner Ives’s AW25 collection, American Tragedies, stormed London Fashion Week with a theatrical extravaganza that was equal parts satire and style. An ode to the “Ladies Who Lunch”, the American designer drew inspiration from the chaos of staging a musical amidst personal turmoil to deliver a lineup that cheekily dissected American cultural icons. “Your world is falling apart while you’re just trying to put on a musical,” he penned in the show notes. “Send in the clowns.”
The runway was a parade of contrasts: Dallas Cowboys cheerleader-inspired outfits, complete with vibrant pom-poms, symbolised the relentless pursuit of the American dream, while scarlet red carnation boutonnières adorned sharp evening wear, playfully subverting black-tie traditions. Women strutted in cummerbunds and tailored pieces, blurring gender lines with a wink and a nudge.
Ives’s hallmark humour and flamboyant glamour were on full display, with designs that felt like a period piece reimagined by someone born two decades too late. A collaboration with Jimmy Choo added a dash of high-octane glamour, while Mejuri’s jewellery provided the perfect sprinkle of elegance.
“The purpose of my job is to offer an escape, and boy do we need one,” Ives wrote. And while the collection truly offered an escape, it was also a sharp, stylish commentary on the beautifully messy tapestry of American culture. At the end of his show notes, he penned, “It’s Showtime, folks!” and indeed it is, where Ives is involved.
Photography courtesy of Connor Ives.
