February 17, 2020 |
“It was not the best time but now it looks like the best time,” said Roland Mouret of his collection inspired by Thatcher’s Britain. He first came to the UK during that period and remembers tumultuous times and the anger of his generation. “It was rough. It was a transformation. The young generation came to realise that you can lose something.” Conservative chic was his starting point with silky scarf dresses, tailored skirt suits and belted jackets. But the voice of dissent was also present. “Your lies are not my dreams,” read the message on a silk scarf.
Mouret also remembers the creativity of the 1980s and channelled it into the accessories. “It was a stylish time. You had to use your imagination because you couldn’t afford anything,” he said and had scoured the beaches near his country home for driftwood to use in jewellery and used broken pieces of ceramic sculpture by his husband, artist James Webster, as brooches. The DIY look was his tribute to Judy Blame and a nod to sustainability. 70% of his collection is now sustainable, he said. Another 21st century touch? Menswear that was actually women’s pieces cut large. “My guys are big size 20 girls,” he joked before turning serious. “Clothes are not about the number inside and the gender. Break that mould!”
by Jason Lloyd-Evans.
