February 15, 2020 |
The show notes described it as an out of body experience and so it was. Matty Bovan was in full boundary-pushing mode and clearly in the mood to create “off-world” silhouettes that distorted convention. There were fabulous fins, flaps, floating forms, upside down jackets, queer crinolines and fashion sculptures. Even the wigs (courtesy of Syd Hayes using BaByliss Pro) had panniers, their shiny raven strands stretching nearly the width of the catwalk. Bovan’s creativity is the only thing about him that’s plain to see. These complex, crafted shapes mixed texture colour and print. He used custom Italian fabrics alongside salvaged plastic fringing, orange London Transport train seat covers and upcycled Fiorucci deadstock.
Bovan even built special printing frames so he could create seamless swan tableaux on his ultra-wide looks. The push and pull of good and bad taste is always a Bovan theme – only he could mix Liberty print florals and Swarovski bedazzled denim in the same show. In amongst it all there was evidence of a Bovan wardrobe in the shape of twisted knits, and distorted babydolls.
Photographs by Jason Lloyd-Evans.
