September 27, 2016 |
Oh London, London, with your streets paved with gold, or should that be fashion. It seems like you happened to us only yesterday, not last week, though that could have something to do with the fact that we only started rounding you up yesterday, but oh well. Good things come to those who wait and all that, and waited patiently we have for London was certainly good for us this season.
Remember that Bikini Kill song, Rebel Girl? “That girl thinks she’s the queen of the neighborhood”. The one who you want to take home so you can try on all her clothes? Well Marques Almeida was that, ended on that even. This was all about girls. Trying on clothes. And then bringing a revolution with them as they walked the runway. And what is this revolution? Clothes designed with girls in mind. It might sound simple, not even that revolutionary, but then, you don’t need some overly complicated idea to have a revolution. Basically, as with last season, Marques Almeida designed a collection of separates, a patchwork of baroque, punk and skater influences in exaggerated shapes, and then invited their friends to put together their own looks before modeling them on the catwalk. The result? She doesn’t think she’s the queen of the neighbourhood, she is.
We said at the time, the J.W.Anderson reminded us of Disney Princesses, and while we would never retract such statements, standing by any random influence we care to quote till the bitter end, we would like to maybe amend this one slightly and say that while yes, the collection does remind us of fictional princesses, on reflection, we’d now like to call this Princess Bride rather than Cinderella. Remember Princess Buttercup’s wardrobe, when she’s in the process of being ‘rescued’ before she’s betrothed to the evil Prince Humperdinck? Well this was sort of like that. Would sack like be an accurate description, well yes and no. What with this being J.W. things are never what they seem. There was a 60’s hula hoop hem element to this, as well as some Robin Hood lacing too. And a ruched sleeve for good measure. But should you be wanting to channel a damsel in distress of the future via the prism of the past then look no further than this. You’re wildest dream has just come true.
Can you believe it’s been 10 years since we were first introduced to Christopher Kane via the medium of a lacey, fluorescent bandage dress? And how does one celebrate 10 years? With tin? Possibly, but why would you? A romp through the archive seems far more appropriate. Not that this was a classic revisiting. Called, Make do and Mend, after the WWII pamphlets this was a, to quote Christopher, a ‘looking back to go forward’. Think of this more as a celebration of his signatures, reworked for today. It’s about leopard, but printed on clear plastic macs, lurex, stretchy lace with bondage lacing, applique organza, pierced paneling, clashing prints and a religious motif, all finished off with a jewel encrusted croc. Because if anyone can make a croc happen it’s Christopher.
Question, what does a party look like? Answer, a Matty Bovan collection. Or should that Matty Bovan’s Fashion East debut. It was, for want of a better use of words and references, the love child of Bow Wow Wow’s Annabella Lwin and a Donna Summer song, not MacArthur Park, because, even if he did leave his cake out in the rain, he’s proven that he still has the recipe, maybe I Feel Love? Or Bad Girls. Anyway this was joyous and energetic, infectious even, full of punchy colour. Rauncy ruching and crystal fringing, a walking shimmy shake. As Divine commanded over the soundtrack, Shake it Up, and shake it up he did
For some reason when I think back on Simone Rocha, and image of Howls Moving Castle comes into my head. Not because Simone’s collection in anyway resembled the flying castle, more that the castle could fly, and there was a weightlessness to the dresses, those puffs of tulle that made them look like, well if you were to drop them from a height, they’d just float, suspended in mid air. There was a bit of a country maiden, from the olden times feel about this, a little ghostly, in that child who once upon time lived here till some tragic accident befell her, mixed with manor maid. The invitation was printed with the words farm, broderie anglaise, patchwork, work, so as much as all of the above might not make sense, in a weird way it does. To us anyway.
Nomads. A tribe of female nomads. A sort of everything but the kitchen sink on their backs. Or should that be everything in their wardrobes? Either way this was, referred to as a ‘personal uniform’. Obviously being Joseph though, it had little to do with striped ties, itchy cardigans and pleated skirts. This was a celebration of menswear, oversized and deconstructed, designed to appear as if falling off the body, drawstrings barely keeping it in place, to reveal more layers below that took on a sporty athletic nature. However, the most important lesson we’ve taken away from Joseph is that anoraks are worn tied diagonally across the body. Cape like. Like a tipsy Wonder Woman. And who doesn’t want to be like Wonder Woman?
Photographs by Jason Lloyd-Evans, from top: Marques Almeida, J.W.Anderson, Simone Rocha
