Marking the beginning of the Spring-Summer ’22 season, London Fashion Week (I.G.@londonfashionweek) begins with what has always characterized it: Innovation.
This season begins with a dialogue marked by the convergence of fashion with culture, music, technology, environment, society, diversity, and consumerism, each represented by the different proposals of the designers, who within the current context marked by the varying effects of the pandemic, through their different and varied collections pose new paradigms that invite the viewer to consider the role they play as well as their responsibility as a consumer in the current era.
We could not talk about innovation without looking to the past, recognizing its cultural and historical contributions that allow us to reaffirm our identity and values, as well as to be able to rethink and change direction towards a more responsible, more sustainable future guided by environmental responsibility and technological and creative innovation, being the guiding axis the human welfare.
Highlights of the first day of London Fashion Week include Qasimi, Bethany Williams, and designers from DiscoveryLAB: MAXIME, CHLOE BAINES, and AUROBOROS.
Bethany Williams “All Our Stories”:
The pandemic has come to change the way we relate to each other, being important to ensure the welfare of the younger generations as well as those groups at risk, reaffirming the importance of values such as kindness, care, and respect for one another. Inspired by his work with The Magpie Project , an organization that supports women and children who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, as well as the folklore passed from generation to generation and childhood stories, ¨All Our Stories¨ is the latest collection of sustainable fashion designer, artist, and humanitarian Bethany Williams (I.G.@bethany_williams_london). The collection focuses on five main storylines shared by the families of the Magpie Project.
QASIMI “Between Ashes and Roses”: Looking into the future by respecting the past
Entitled by one of the works of Syrian poet Adunis “A Time Between Ashes & Roses”, Qasimi (I.G. @qasimi_official) Spring/Summer 2022 delves into Middle-Eastern culture, artistry, and architecture to celebrate unity, humanity, and craft, presenting a collection that juxtaposes the futuristic elements with traditional craft techniques, stating the importance of the past by making it the stepping stone for a better future. This can be appreciated through the sportswear elements whose appeal is enhanced by the use of traditional craft techniques such as safeefah, as seen on men’s denim jacket, women’s cropped jacket and skirt, pockets, and tote bags. The color palette for the collection takes cues from Indian culture by implementing it on some of its pieces. Earthly and nature pastel ones can also be observed across the collection.
QASIMI partnered with jeweller Zohra Rahman (I.G. @zohra_rahman) in the making of a multi-functional piece that can be worn as a brooch, a pendant or an earring. The pieces made for the collection parallels with the spirit of Qasimi on the celebration of unity, humanity and craft.
DiscoveryLAB: MAXIME, CHLOE BAINES, AUROBOROS
MAXIME “Edition 2”
Translating the universe of interior design into modern menswear, French-born designer Maxime Fruit presented for Maxime (I.G. @maximedesign_) “Edition 2”, a collection whose main focus was glass, a material mainly present in most houses and whose properties have been associated with purity, strength, and elegance. The designer presented a narrative that departs from glass in its purest form (sand) to later transfer it in its various stages of transformation, reflected in the color palette used: sandy beige, light blue, and tinted teal. The elegance of the element is transpose across the contrasted mixing of textures and fabrics.
For this collection, the designer worked with renowned glass furniture brand Fiam Italia for the filming and documentation of its collection.
Chloe Baines “Pegged”
Staying true to its upcycling aesthetic, designer Chloe Baines (I.G. @chlobaines) celebrates gender fluidity through experimental fashion with its latest collection entitled “Pegged”. Presented in a three-minute video where models and dancers are working on a construction site, the collection pieces, styled by (I.G @pupperbitch), are composed of a mix of up-cycled tents, dead-stock denim, and jewelry recycled from tent pegs, featured through construction wear references, derived from the designer’s exploration of hypermasculinity.
AUROBOROS “Biomimicry”: The first Digital Ready-to-Wear Collection
One of the most awaited presentations for the beginning of this fashion week was undoubtedly the debut of tech couture house Auroboros (I.G. @auro.boros) with its “Biomimicry” collection, the first brand to show a digital ready-to-wear collection. Being its key pillars innovation, sustainability, and immersive design, the next level of fashion luxury proposed by duo Paula Sello and Alissa Aulbekova showcased its collection through a mix of nature with technology.
The inspiration behind the collection is derived from the cyclical forces of nature, technology, and the influences from Alex Garland’s sci-fi films to Hayao Miyazaki’s anime. The name of the collection perfectly reflects the purpose of both the brand and the discipline from which the collection derives its name: to use the imitation of nature’s mechanisms to solve human design problems. This can be appreciated through the natural elements of the pieces and looks, such as the Ava, Biomimicry, Fibonacci, Replicant, and Venustrap looks.
Replicant Look Atokirina Look Fibonacci Look Ava Look
You can shop the “Biomimicry” collection on the brand’s site and for a limited time on DressX.
For other special physical and digital items, such as the brand’s aura shorts and tops, phone cases, and futuristic Zoom backgrounds you can buy them HERE.
“Auroboros’ digital, especially the ‘Biomimicry’ collection, truly reflects the scientific and technological advances of the 21st century, with cultural references that are both personal and universal in their meaning.”
Auroboros Creative Director and Co-Founder, Paula Sello
“By removing the ‘borders’ and ‘guidelines’ of fashion, we had such freedom to build the whole world of Auroboros that is also reflective of today’s society and potentially presenting a solution to many of the fashion industries downfall in unsustainable production and lack of innovation.”
Auroboros Creative Director and Co-Founder, Alissa Aulbekova
#LFW#LFWClearpay#LondonFashionWeek
