September 20, 2023 |
Acid trip meets 1980s American Prom meets a cascading cacophony of taffeta and crochet is the best way to describe Matty Bovan’s SS24 collection. Swapping the catwalk for The Lightwell at St Martin-in-the-Field – a clear, glass spherical tube lit by harsh white spotlights – the York-born designer presented a “fantasy lucid dream of America”, which saw 10 Issue 71 cover stars Chloé Nguyen and Cora Corré take to the stage.
A patron of creativity and craftsmanship, Bovan’s 15th collection focused on outlandish silhouettes with fabric bursting from every crevice. An assortment of ruching, fraying and draping engulfed models donning colourful, graphic tights, pointed heels and wire-weaved handbags. Smudged blue eye makeup and stripes of hair dye gave models the grit of old-school ravers fresh from a 12-hour stint in a sweaty subterranean soiree.
40 lucky punters also got the chance to get a glimpse at the backstage madness, munching on lobster pie and gem salad – for Matty Bovan, front row means a taste of extravagance as bold and lavish as his collection. Speaking to Vogue on the reimagined seating plan, the Fashion East alumni said “I love the idea of doing a show where the front row gets to see the behind the scenes, close. And they get to see the textiles and the details.” Bovan also treated guests to the exclusive ‘Tiny Ten’ cocktails crafted with Tanqueray No. Ten, in line with the partnership between the two brands. Also manifesting in a short film showcasing the parallels between his own artisanship and Tanqueray’s distillation process, guests went home with a graphic t-shirt commemorating the collab. Outlandish, bright and full of fun, we wouldn’t have a Matty Bovan show any other way.
Photographs courtesy of Matty Bovan.
