Acne Studios Resort 2016

I didn't think it was possible, but a brand has built their reputation on being polished and yet eccentric all at once. At the core of it, the clothes are to the highest standard but the styling is both weird and wonderful. From bowl cuts with purposeful cowlicks and buzz cuts, traditionally masculine haircuts have been softened and the notion of gender blurred. The result is wonderfully eccentric, and pants shrouded by long coats looking not too dissimilar to skirts with deep splits. Also for those concerned with ~trend reports~ (though I despise such superficial, clickbait garbage) pointed shoes are back in vogue. I loved the thick elasticised ankle straps and frayed edges characterising the Acne Resort collection. Like normal people, I do not enjoy sliding around in shoes which do not fit properly, or imagining my shoes slipping off my feet and into a nearby gutter. Unlike thin straps they also don't cut into the skin, although they do result in some interesting tan lines. Tattoo chokers have also enjoyed a recent revival and Acne have done just that- translating something tacky into high fashion.

Images via Vogue.com

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

Jacquemus Fall 2014

While the majority of runway shows and collections I discuss focus on fastidious detail and embellishments, sometimes it's nice to get back to the bear basic case in point Jacquemus. The French designer caused quite the stir at fashion week last season featuring a collaborative makeup look with Berlin-based artist Sebastian Bieniek as well as nods towards the #FreeTheNipple campaign. But before all of that there was simplicity, silhouettes and strong coats. While it would be tempting to place these pieces in a more artfully composed context and background that is the very reason why editorials exist. Instead Jacquemus lays his clothes bare worn simply with plain white Adidas sneakers (probably to the models' relief) and makeup au naturel. This simply enforces greater emphasis on the slightly exaggerated shapes and silhouettes of both the coats and floating panels on mesh. However, creating slightly bulky or cocoon-like hoods is nothing new. Japanese designers such as Hiroshige Maki, Rei Kawakubo and Yohji Yamamato have literally carried out this type of work for decades. Therefore I shall not praise Jacquemus as being progressive, but merely a continuation of these practitioners within a restrained colour palette and the addition of irregular shapes and patterns.

Dissecting the collection into sections according to colour not only allowed for the audience to sit and digest everything but a visual landscape when viewed at once. This is at the expense of being able to create a narrative which accompanies the clothes enhanced by music and set design. I can't even imagine the soundtrack that would follow the models as they move back and forth and I am in no way inclined to find out. Normally through a natural curiosity I am compelled to immerse myself in previous collections and watch old videos of a runway show but I am not filled with any real passion when viewing these clothes. Instead I view them objectively, like I would a set of data or other line of scientific evidence. It's only when I view them again in an editorial or photo shoot that I make any kind of emotional attachment with their strange silhouettes and other worldly shape. I think what was missing were cute pastel backgrounds and a metaphoric gold gilt frame with which to view these pieces. I can appreciate that this was not the intention of Jacquemus but it feels strange to see such vibrant clothes showcased in a dimensionless space.  

The clothes themselves were interesting, but as I mentioned before one can't help but feel like this as all too familiar and a gentrified rehash of the innovations of Japanese designers. Pieces such as the turtleneck with two neck holes which can be worn a number of ways is sadly nothing new and flattened statement seams were also akin to the 2D Comme des Garcons pieces everyone frantically searches for online. All this without the same makeup and hair styling Rei Kawakubo insists upon as a necessity to the experience of her show made Jacquemus pale in comparison. While the suits and dresses did offer something different the coat shape, structural integrity and collars were all pieces I felt I had seen before, merely in a new selection of colours. What is interesting is that these clothes demand a minimalist approaching to styling but a hefty dry cleaning bill and loads of space for storage. In a way they are nothing more than an ideal rather than something which can exist in the real world, although my favourite Susie Bubble was captured wearing the coat from the final look and did an exceptional job.  

Images via Fashion Glossary UK

Peter Pilotto Fall 2015

Viewing this collection made me feel like I was experiencing the various townships represented in The Wizard of Oz (1939). I watched the film for the first time with my boyfriend a few weeks ago and was so entranced by the costume designs and how they relate to fashion today. Of course Hamish was totally confused about why I was getting so worked up about it and how I could consider those clothes wearable but he's definitely not into fashion but has forged an identity through the clothes he wears. (To our friends he is easily identifiable and basically wears the same outfit all year round). Given that Dorothy, the Scarecrow, Tin Man and Cowardly Lion only visited a few townships within this universe it's entirely feasible that somewhere, a town exclusively inhabited by women exists and they dress with impeccable taste. I can only hope they wear Nicholas Kirkwood shoes embellished with what reminds me of Jacks (or Knucklebones if you prefer) and wonderfully decorated sweaters and coats. Join me on a journey of discovery within the Peter Pilotto world with pop culture references abound.

Despite the wonderful shoes and the numerous colorways Nicholas Kirkwood created especially for this runway collection, style.com has not featured any closeups of the shoes and I feel so vexed about this. It's no secret that I am a huge Nicholas Kirkwood fan owning three pairs of his shoes (one Meadham Kirchhoff collaboration and one Rodarte) and a pair of Sophia Webster slides (former design assistant to Nicholas Kirkwood). Each shoe is like a piece of artwork and beautifully made- hence why I feel so frustrated there aren't many photographs of them from this runway show online. Before I continue to vent my frustration I should note that Peter Pilotto has collaborated with Nicholas Kirkwood for a number of seasons but this might be my favorite range of heels and boots to date. The introduction of gel or strange shapes always injects a kind of nostalgia, usually springing forth memories of the early 2000s but in this case the 1970s tone is irrefutable. The colors, strange geometric shapes and sporadic suede heels all lead me to the conclusion that while both identities exist within this collection the seventies is stronger.

The star of the show was definitely the fabulous and eccentric knitwear featuring designs akin to weird circuit board motifs or the alien crop circles. Even with the simple use of a few lines, colours and shapes on a plain white background I can conjure up multiple interpretations of the same design. It was definitely more intellectually stimulating than watching various 1970s inspired looks float down the runway (I mean Stevie Nicks is great and we should all aim to be like her but there's only so much suede and black sheer I can take- ya know?) Seeing so many abstract figures forced me to think about how they relate to my life or figures I knew from television and film. There was room for interpretation as well as substance behind motivating Pilotto during the creation of this collection which is always more compelling than predicting what will be the next biggest trend. I'm more concerned with which characters are brave enough to create the collection they want to as well as personal development through personal style. 

The other thing these colours and shapes remind me of are the attractions at Disneyland and to a greater extent Mary Blair's animation style. She was the art director of Peter Pan, Cinderella and Alice in Wonderland, as well as the mastermind who orchestrated "It's a Small World" with scenes designed by Marc Davis and costuming by his wife Alice Davis. Wrap skirts which seem oddly familiar yet untraceable in origin echo this sentiment of a global citizen or alien figure who exists somewhere outside of time itself. Tavi Gevinson said something along these lines about Creatures of the Wind many years ago but I think the same can be said for Peter Pilotto. Things seem both old and new at the same time like a caricature of space travel or special effects from a movie made several decades ago. What is certain that although these shapes are readily familiar there isn't anything else like it available on the market which makes Pilotto so incredibly exciting as a figure in the fashion industry. 

Photos by Marcus Tondo for Indigitalimages.com