February 19, 2022 |
As Storm Eunice blew in, making London look like the twister dream sequence in The Wizard of Oz, Matty Bovan whipped up a storm of his own. The designer tumbled together Americana references in a hurricane of upcycling. Like a fashion Avenger wielding his power, he masterfully orchestrated found fabrics and fashion tropes into a powerful post-pandemic story.
The collection was shown mostly on men (save for an appearance by supermodel Irina Shayk) – something Bovan had wanted to do for a while but now the time felt right. Folksy hand-knitted American flags were crafted into capes, lumberjack shirts were reinvented as swirling skirts, some pieces had the vast shoulder-scape of American footballers whilst check tablecloths were piled, draped, bundled and balled into stately shapes. Bovan also reworked iconic ready-made pieces from other brands including hand-painted Calvin Klein Jeans, Adidas tracksuits which were fashioned into ball gowns, alongside customised Vivienne Westwood tailoring, Converse and Alpha Industries bombers. It felt punk. It felt now.
Photography courtesy of Matty Bovan.
