Charlotte Scott 2015

The graduate who seemed the most distinct at the Westminster Graduate collection in terms of their aesthetic was undoubtedly Charlotte Scott. It was a menswear collection unlike any other with the most whimsical colour palette which became only heightened by side-swept bowl cuts combined with unbelievably adorable casting. The clothes were just so distinct though- but I'm sure one of those people who fight over bragging rights to being the creator of kidcore or babycore or whatever will show us some drawing they did at age three. That's not something I really want to discuss here but strange subcultures asides the shades of red also reminded me of Back to the Future. Specifically I'm talking about Back to the Future 2, but what I'm really getting at is that when people talk about retro-futurism or how people would dress in the future, this collection seems like a game changer. While there's a lot of hype surrounding Jacquemus who has in many ways pioneered this type of design, I would consider his designs clumsy or somewhat ill-fitting compared to these more sleek and stream-lined designs. This could, however, be largely due to a difference in materials.

*Images via Westminster Fashion

hair-raising

I've taken fashion blogging to new highs in terms of beehive hair, but also lows with what might be the worst (i.e. unoriginal) title for a blog post- ever. That said the content is absolutely fine and in fact I greatly admire the work of Julien d’Ys, who you might recognise as the hair stylist for Rei Kawakubo's colourful collections. In particular, the flamboyant fluorescent yellow locks that graced the stage at the Comme des Garçons Homme Plus presentation. These sculptural hairstyles were just one component of a collection which redefined gender at Paris Fashion Week. I remember seeing the hairstyles for the very first time in a youtube video, featuring the best of mens' fashion week and watching cool and disaffected male models exit the rear of a building. While not hugely practical or something that I can imitate on this blog, I thought the looks were worth sharing as inspiration to other bloggers or simply those who are dissatisfied with their current hairstyle and craving something different.

*Images via Dazed Digital, Photography Ilker Akyol

Raf Simons Spring 2016

Raf Simons continues to mystify me- although he is frequently touted as a genius I can never figure out what all the fuss is about unless I read through what others have said of him. I suppose that largely has to do with my age and the relationship I have with personal style. Or that having been told all my life that youth invalidates experience I find myself unable to analyze his work. Whatever the case may be I find myself having to file these collections under the "you'll appreciate this when you're older" category. That's under the assumption that I will eventually abandon my brightly coloured power clashing aesthetic and come to appreciate the shape and cut of my clothes. For now all I'll say is that I loved the heavy chains slung over the shoulder and carried next to the bags for Spring 2016. They reminded my of heavy vintage Lucite necklaces, ballooned to greater proportions and appropriated for a different purpose. As a child I often caught myself wistfully wishing I had a shrink ray to change the size of my plastic beads (of which I was obsessed with) to wear in all manner of ways. It's true what they say- somethings never change. 

*Photos via Vogue.com

Niall Cottrell 2015

Continuing the Westminster themed blog posts we find Niall Cottrell, proudly and somewhat emphatically waving the flag for menswear. What really struck me was how wearable the pieces were from each graduate in particular Cottrell's creations. I clicked on a picture from instagram thinking it was J.W. Anderson for profanity's sake! Mind you this was after a full day at the computer editing photos, as well as mindlessly writing in a zombie-lake state for several hours. I loved both the techniques as well as intensity of colour from this collection, which shrouded each figure in a warrior-like silhouette. What I also found interesting were a couple of one shoulder menswear pieces, something which we would typically associate with dressing the female figure. In many ways it challenged our perceptions of gender but in a way which was largely overt. Or rather it was hidden in plain sight amongst a sea of colour.

*Photos via Westminster Fashion

Rose Chong

I popped in to visit Rose Chong with the intention of photographing the installation of independent label Gun Shy but became distracted by the cacophony of colour and texture. To put things into context, Gun Shy is the brainchild of Kathryn Jamieson who creates explosive and innovative glamorous faux fur pieces. By contrast, Rose Chong is a costume store nestled in Fitzroy located on Gertrude Street- what I would personally consider the fashionable hub of Melbourne. Instinctively I had to archive all the beautiful costumes, as well as the crazy window installations featuring cactus costume and taco wrap dress. The pastel pink walls as well as fabulous range of both men's and women's costumes are among the best I've ever seen. They also had an amazing range of wigs, eyelashes and body glitter which I gleefully admire, both from afar and up close. What really stood out was the number of sequined, as well as ruffled and fur vintage pieces which the store has sourced as part of their costume store. 

Aside from the store looking immaculate and beautiful, with roses intertwined with hanging chains and luscious red carpet the staff were super friendly and had a ton of advice on how to wear each costume and styling. They were kind enough not to scold me when I ascended the stairs searching for more costumes (when in fact that was where the office was!) but more than that they were happy to help and offer advice.  From pinning a costume to wearing wigs and using hair spray each person was an endless fountain of knowledge. In a very weird way I can see parallels between a costume shop and fashion as an industry- it reflects the historical context of clothing as well as popular culture. Strolling through the aisles you can see a tidy summary of how fashion has evolved over the last century, as well as costumes inspired by historical figures and period pieces and comic book super heroes. These same motifs and techniques are borrowed by and subsequently reinvented by designers, although popular culture infiltrating the world of fashion is far more subtle. 

I think what makes Rose Chong so appealing is that although the costumes are made for adults and there's not really a kid's section, the atmosphere is so magical. Like if I were to venture into its depths as a twelve year old I would genuinely try and hide in amongst the furry bunny costumes and stay there over night. Imagine a kid's movie with a terrible plot line starring Frankie Muniz and Amanda Bynes reinforcing gross stereotypes only with more nuance and glitter. It represents everything I love about visiting a brick and mortar store which dulls in comparison to say, a website no matter how beautifully contrived that might be. More than that it encourages me to actually get dressed in the mornings, rather than wearing the same gross pair of jeans. This follows the philosophy and sentiment echoed by blogs such as Advanced Style in which women dress for the drama of everyday life and actively reject the mundane through personal style.