Boudicca’s Tribe. Gareth Pugh AW15

February 23, 2015 | Design & Culture by Ed

Boudicca. England. Brave women. Gareth Pugh celebrates 10 years of his label, and this moment is seriously a highlight. In his AW15, the mad prince of British fashion brings fetish leather, sexy volumes and dark queen silhouettes, which all suggest one thing – the avant-garde British fashion is alive. Thankfully, Gareth Pugh continues Alexander McQueen’s legacy of fashion which got balls. For this specific show, the models had their faces and torso painted with red while the hair was cut in a boyish, home-like way. Fur, plastic, leather, wool were presented in a pretty sharp way, belted and covered with chains. I love this collection not only because its avant-garde and ultra-British, but because it’s not so retail-friendly… and it sums up first 10 years of Gareth’s fashion career.

Louise Bourgeois. Simone Rocha AW15

February 22, 2015 | Design & Culture by Ed

The layers of Simone Rocha’s dresses overlapped themselves like Louise Bourgeois sculptures. “I just absolutely love her work and the fact that it’s so personal. Also a lot of it is very textile based, but I love all of her materials – marble, wood, glass, and the contrast of it. Even though it was personal to her a lot of people relate to it,” Rocha noted backstage. The tapestry-like textiles were combined with sheer mesh while hair-like fur with florals. “I read recently that when she (Louise) was asked to go and have her photo taken she said she was so nervous she would rather hide behind her work so she just brought this huge phallus with her, which I think is a great idea,” Rocha said. “I’d much rather be behind a rail of clothes right now!”

Artisanal Basics. Faustine Steinmetz AW15

February 22, 2015February 22, 2015 | Design & Culture by Ed

Faustine Steinmetz, the girl of the moment from London, took her techniques to the next level in her quest to make everyday clothing special and and artisan. Jeans came hand-felted and brushed with orange and white details to outline the stitching in a trompe l’oeil effect, or painted in silicone with thick, whipped strokes that were echoed in jewellery and hair pieces by Lara Jensen. For AW15, the young designer prove, that even the basics of our wardrobe can be revisited – I wish to touch one of these trousers. They seem to be out of this world. Until now, Steinmetz has been hand-weaving all her fabrics, but a sponsorship this season from Cotton USA meant that she was able to buy sustainable, materials. But she still gave them her very special and specific treatment: “It’s a bit like a painting,” she noted of the adding of felt and paint to her denim canvas and the way she had digitally printed blurry Photoshop lines onto jeans not so typical. “This was a reflection on if I were to buy fabric, like other people do – and their life is much easier, I’m sure – where would I want to take it, and why would I do that?“

Photography Philip Trengove

Über 80’s. JW Anderson AW15

February 22, 2015 | Design & Culture by Ed

Two years ago, I would never thought that Jonathan Anderson, the minimal kid from the block, will go 80’s. This period has it’s echo in previous collections, but never so much as in AW15. Corduroy trousers, velvet tops, über-80’s prints, and eccentric earring – it all makes me think about those ladies which sit and gossip about everyone at the market. The shoes seem to be terrific, too – their exggerated buckles and aim to “shorten” the legs are so “un-fashionable”. This collection in overall is not a fashionable one. J.W. Anderson simply showed an ironic, slightly satiric point of view on people, which try to look their best and at the same time look super cheesy. Additionally, the cheesy way of dressing appeared in the 80’s – so now everything is clear.

But is cheesy the new chic? J.W. Anderson possibly imposes an old new movement in fashion. This “thing” is surely going to be a hot topic for fashion journalists.

Men’s – New Menswear. J.W. Anderson AW15

January 12, 2015January 12, 2015 | Design & Culture by Ed

Thankfully, during men’s London fashion weeks, we’ve got J.W. Anderson, who makes the young breed of designers interesting. Showing his collection on the second day of the fashion week, Jonathan Anderson presented his new ideas on a purple carpet made from used tires which looks pretty much amazing. As we all know from the past, women’s pre-fall and men’s fall are connected – the colour palette, the textiles and the main themes are very close. Sudden odd details abounded, like oversize collars and sleeves and buttons fabricated from metalwork (these make me constantly confused). But his provocateur attitude was tempered by immediately desirable clothes like the two-tone turtlenecks, degrade effect car coats and gorgeous, long scarves. “I like this idea of something that felt a little apocalyptic, or looking like it came from a computer game,” explained Anderson backstage of the show’s backstage. As for the clothes, they were a “mishmash of decades – I like isolating the idea of the look.” So the fabric on a coat could be from the 60s but the detailing on it from the 70s. “We were reflecting on different tribal movements and hybridising them. Is it an 80s jacket or not? Does that even matter? It’s about rejecting nostalgia.”