Held in front of an intimate audience, John Alexander Skelton presented his 12th collection within the underbelly of St Pancras Parish Church, at London’s Crypt Gallery. Originally designed for coffin burials in 1822, the dimly-lit space featured old headstones which aligned the ground, adding to the haunting atmosphere.
As Skelton’s 2022 show began, the song of a harp filled the air and models began to pack the space. Walking one by one through the corridors, men both young and old pushed bright lights held by pushcarts whilst wearing velvet vests and coats accompanied by linen shirts and pinstripe suits. Inspired by Pollock’s Toy Museum and shop originally opened in the 1800s, Benjamin Pollock’s Hoxton Street store manufactured and sold toy theatres to Victorian London.
The designer knew little of the shop’s founder, but was keen to let his imagination guide his hand – creating a wardrobe he thought Mr Pollock would wear from day-to-day. His models had pale faces featuring mismatched lines like that of a cracked shell. Wool overcoats and tailored jackets with bunches of lavender dangling from pockets were focal points, alongside button-up shirts screen-printed with artworks based on the research of Jack Fawdry-Tatham, who is currently the museum’s owner. It was another strong collection from the London-based talent.
Photography courtesy of John Alexander Skelton.
