London Fashion Week is serving up a re-imagined 1970s with a side of Tropicana
From Bora Aksu and Rixo to Nensi Dojaka and Halpern, Olivia Petter rounds up the highlights from day one of LFW
And just like that: we’re back in business. London Fashion Week never went away, of course. But the pandemic certainly put paid to the pomp and pageantry that typically characterises the biannual event. Catwalks were live-streamed in empty venues, presentations took place over Zoom, and many of the big fashion houses withdrew altogether. It was, much like everything else at that time, rather bleak. Not anymore.
With 66 per cent of the population now fully vaccinated against Covid-19, this season’s schedule is packed with real-life runways, presentations, and one-to-one appointments with designers. The venues, scattered across the city, are just as lavish as they always have been, comprising a charming garden behind the Institute of Directors on Pall Mall, the Old Selfridges Hotel off Oxford Street, and the London Aquatics Centre in east London.
Gone, too, are the days of designers unveiling their collections to an audience swaddled on their sofas in loungewear. Street style has made a triumphant return, with fashion week attendees making the most of the opportunity to wear all of the flamboyant and highly impractical items that have been stashed away in their wardrobes for more than 18 months – think low-back dresses, fluorescent velvet jumpsuits, and knee-high cowboy boots.
As for the shows themselves, day one’s lineup was a hybrid of established names and newcomers. Bora Aksu, Mark Fast, and Vivienne Westwood headlined the proceedings, while emerging talents came by way of Matty Bovan and Nensi Dojaka, the Albanian designer whose slinky mesh mini dresses have been seen on everyone from Bella Hadid to Dua Lipa – she was recently awarded the prestigious LVMH Prize for Young Designers.
While each designer offered their unique aesthetic for spring/summer 2022, there was, as usual, a substantial amount of crossover. Inspiration was drawn across the board from the 1970s, with Alice Temperley citing the decade’s Pattern and Decoration movement as her mood board for the season. That and the works of Agatha Christie: “She’s a local,” says the designer of her muse, referring to the author’s home in Devon, Greenway House, which is not far from Temperley’s new HQ in Somerset. Death on the Nile was a particular reference for the collection, which is a sensual amalgamation of bohemian silk kaftans, vividly patterned two-pieces, and, as is typical of the British brand, opulent occasionwear.
Many of Temperley’s geometric prints take their cues from the tropics, with a green Palmae print looking straight out of something from Mike White’s hit HBO series The White Lotus: a satirical drama set in Hawaii that pokes fun at a group of wealthy holidaymakers. Fans of the show won’t have a hard time picturing Tanya McQuoid (Jennifer Coolidge) gesticulating in one of Temperley’s silk printed kaftans about the “core of [her] onion”.
Elsewhere, retro styles shine through in top-stitched denim suiting, ruffled feminine frocks, and a collection of sea blue gowns of varying lengths, made from recycled sequins. “The collections muse is a woman who trusts and follows her own raw creative soul,” the collection notes state. If that’s the case, then McQuoid – and her onion – certainly fit the bill.
Next, it was onto Turkish designer Bora Aksu, for whom the 1970s provided a palette of pastels and geek chic ensembles that felt heavily indebted to Alessandro Michele’s Gucci but with a focus on femininity. Set in a bucolic garden nestled behind Pall Mall, the collection revolved around Aksu’s muse, Mathilde Willink, a Dutch artist who, after finding her way in the upper echelons of society, was famed for her exaggerated and exuberant sense of style. The result was a collection packed with maximalist tailoring, silk tulle frocks fitted with applique flowers, flouncy skirts lined with crisp taffeta, and, surprisingly, a lot of headscarves. The eye-popping palette comprised all the Aksu usuals, from yolk yellows and bubblegum pinks to sky blues and neon greens. Key looks included a pair of tweed skirt suits, debuted by two models walking side-by-side. The real highlights, though, were in the accessories.
Each of the models walked the runway in intricate white lace tights, some of which were covered in bright scarlet flowers. Then there were the lace-up square-platform brogues, which came in white and dusky pink, and the oversized square sunglasses that overwhelmed the models’ faces. The antique brooches were a highlight, too, with antique styles pinned onto lapels.
True to form, the mood was just as retro over at Rixo, whose cult printed frocks always pay homage to 1960s and 1970s styles. This season, though, they were given a tropical twist, with each design created in celebration of one of the things we all missed the most during the pandemic: holidays. “We were inspired by some old souvenir scarves we found,” explains Orlagh McCloskey, Rixo’s co-founder. “They were from everywhere from Miami in Florida to European countries.” There was one scarf in particular that had the words “Bon Voyage” (the name of Rixo’s spring/summer 2022 collection) splashed across it. “We just thought, that’s very in keeping with how desperate we are to travel at the moment,” adds Henrietta Rix, the brand’s other co-founder.
The brand’s staple flowy dresses were there, with standout prints including nautical stripes and faded tropical florals, the kind that you could imagine on the headscarf of an elderly woman enjoying her retirement in a plush beach resort. The standout item, though, was arguably a cream sweater vest that featured a scalloped Peter Pan collar and an embroidered bunch of bananas on the front. Imagine The Velvet Underground meets Boca Raton.
The theme was reflected in the setting, too, with the Barbican Conservatory – a glass-roofed tropical oasis teeming with exotic plants – providing the perfect backdrop to Rixo’s vacation vibe. Rather than a straightforward presentation, models of all ages and sizes (something that is fleetingly rare at LFW) mingled among the plants. Some shook maracas, others lounged on sunbeds. The mood was one of unbridled joy, something that was elevated by the band that played Buena Vista Social Club tunes as guests walked around – that and the fact that there were three bars on site.
Speaking of feelings of euphoria: they came in droves at Halpern. The London-based, US-born designer is renowned for his flamboyant and masterful creations, which often take their cues from moving subject matters – Halpern famously cast key workers in his spring/summer 2021 campaign to honour their achievements in the pandemic. This time around, the Central Saint Martins graduate paid homage to the extraordinary discipline and determination of the Royal Ballet dancers, who maintained their tireless training routines throughout lockdown. “Hearing the ballerinas’ stories really moved me,” says Halpern. “They had to practice at home throughout in case the Royal Opera House opened again. I just wanted to honour what they had been through.”
Despite all this, the collection itself was not inspired by ballet. “I wouldn’t want to do tutus or anything like that, I think that would be too referential,” Halpern explains. It would also be a tad too obvious, and Halpern’s clothes are anything but. Subverting the boundaries of form and texture, the spring/summer 2022 collection features a menagerie of plumed parfait frocks, neon silk gowns, and Halpern’s signature orb dresses. A celebration of movement, these clothes are designed for dancers. Watching the Royal Ballet flying and twirling across the stage at the Royal Opera House, where the accompanying collection film was shot, you can’t help but think this is how fashion should be consumed.
“Seeing them dance is so incredible,” Halpern says of the dancers, who he rattles off by name. “It’s very different when you see them on someone dancing versus seeing them on models going up and down a runway... it brings them to life in a new way. It’s very gratifying.”
That sense of gratitude and celebration continued as the day came to a close with Nensi Dojaka, arguably one of the most highly anticipated shows of the season. While Dojaka’s A-list fans were absent – many had expected Hadid to be in the front row – excitement still filled the air, or rather, the Old Selfridges Hotel. The proceedings began in a traditional fashion show format - blacked out room, thumping bass - but the clothes that followed were far from conventional.
Dojaka’s signature mesh bodysuits were paired with tailored trousers, while dresses came with even shorter hemlines and slinkier cutouts. While the majority the collection was black, the designer introduced some pale pink shades by way of ruched crop tops and cigarette trousers. Elsewhere, chocolate brown shades found their way onto halter-neck bodysuits with central cutouts.
It was as sexed-up a collection as one would expect from Dojaka, who received rapturous applause as the show came to an end. It was an uplifting conclusion to the day, particularly given the notable absences on the rest of the schedule. But if this season teaches us anything, it’s that we shouldn’t be looking back. It’s time to look forward to the future of fashion.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments