Andraschko Takes the Piss out of the UK's Rich for SS25

June 12, 2024

At London Fashion Week earlier this week, creative director Laura Andraschko unveiled her latest collection, an overtly political presentation, featuring on-the-nose critiques of the UK upper class’ culture and attitudes.

Andraschko, whose work is typically hedonistic in nature, has taken a left turn for the SS25 collection. The excess and ignorance of the often conservative upper class woman is mocked mercilessly. Faux country club pieces are embroidered with phrases like “Entitled Cunt”, offering unabashed, humorous criticism of elites in line with the trend found in recent films The Menu and Triangle of Sadness.

To frame her theatrical show of ridicule, Andraschko chose horse stables in West London as her location, a perfect encapsulation of the bullshit behind the shiny artifice of the lifestyle Britain's elites have chosen for themselves. The designer isn’t portraying herself as a hater through-and-through, though, as elements of the collection display a deep seeded love for aspects of British culture and fashion. Equestrian wear is included, along with pieces invoking UK country club’s and upper class business wear.

Some pieces evoke the well-known Bullingdon Club, which counts Prime Ministers such as notorious right-wing buffoon Boris Johnson and conservative clown David Cameron as it’s former members. Although the collection s a scathing critique of the rich, it’s also tinged with hope, paving an absurd path forward in the arts, a much needed reprieve in a time of ever-increasing inequality.

By Tal Kamara
Photography Alba Cámara

Check out some of our favorite looks below.

Fashion

Backstage: Prototypes SS25

June 29, 2024

Despite its cultural roots in football, Prototypes doesn’t play around. Their latest collection, Series07 combines previous thematic critiques of commodification with an exploration on the tribalism inherent to football fandom. What you wear is your identity. At this point, the way you signal your beliefs has more impact than your beliefs themselves. For better or for worse, the world has become more about the signifier than the signified. Football is no exception. We are walking billboards for our identities — Prototypes plays on how we quite literally advertise ourselves through garments with phrases like “Fly Emirates” emblazoned on shirts. In football, what you wear indicitively reflects your allegiance. Playing on the monoculturalism of jersey-wearing team devotees, Prototypes explores the blurry line between cultishness and collectivity.

By Izzy Capulong
Photography by Regina Ntahompagz

View the collection below.

Fashion

office people: Betsy Johnson

June 26, 2024

Betsy Johnson is one of those born originators whose work tells us a lot about the absurd reality we're living in. Raised in Grimsby, a small town in northeast England, the Paris-based creative director and stylist's working-class background remains a consistent source of inspiration in her work.

In 2023, Johnson launched PRODUCTS, a project that explores commodity culture, commercialism and class, consistent themes in the visual narratives she constructs. Inherent to her practice, Johnson prefers a DIY approach to everything, conceptualizing entire processes from the ground up. Despite her undeniable influence on contemporary fashion and kickstarting necessary conversations, Johnson sees herself as "uninvolved." "There's a certain kind of danger to feeling too involved," she tells us. "I think the moment I feel involved is the moment I need to move onto something else." Perhaps it's this detachment toward the industry's glitzy facade that garnered so much attention in the first place.

By SAHIR AHMED
Photography by SAINT

What is your ideal office?

A space that can transform with me. It’s important to me that all the materials in my studio can be moved easily and that the space is adaptable. My space is mostly free of any work — current or previous. A blank canvas. At some point, a large open-plane hanger style / industrial building will be great. Reverting to warehouse living with my creative family at some point will be interesting in this new chapter of my life. For now, I’m enjoying the juxtaposition of Parisian architecture with my industrial / DIY approach to furniture and also work style.

Have you ever been to a psychic?

It was… insightful.

What’s something you recently wrote down to look at later?

- Answer Office questions

Can you recall a time you experienced déjà vu?

I love an AH-HA moment. They happen often.

What word would you use to describe yourself?

I’m not sure. I’ve been told I’m five people in one. In one word, contradictory.

If someone looked in your trash can right now, what’s the weirdest thing they would find?

Nothing weird, just a lot of useless packaging.

How do you find balance?

I walk or think alone.

If there were anyone from history you could have dinner with, who?

David Bowie.

What draws you to a person?

Their mindset. How they carry themselves in a room even if that means being the quietest.

What’s lacking in your industry?

— normal people.

Order office issue 21.

Fashion

Head of State's Vivid Imagination Materializes in Paris

June 25, 2024

Head of State's Taofeek Abijako has been moving away from traditional runway shows in recent seasons. Instead, he opts for exhibitions that delve deeper into the brand's origins and future intentions. This Paris Fashion Week, Abijako presented Vivid Imagination, the third installment in Head of State's Exhibition Series.

Vivid Imagination reimagines the Aso Oke, a traditional Yoruba cloth handwoven on a loom, with a history dating back to the 15th century. More than just a fabric, Aso Oke symbolizes identity, dignity, and pride, highlighting the enduring legacy of Nigeria's Yoruba community in fashion and culture.

Throughout the exhibition space, the loom and various interpretations of Aso Oke stood in stark contrast to the fast-paced nature of today's fashion industry. Abijako approached the loom's installation with the same meticulous care as his garments, creating "a space for more thoughtful engagement, allowing our audience to digest our narrative at their own pace."

By Sahir Ahmed
Photography by Tom Guez

The exhibition also featured three garments in a muted sky-blue hue, incorporating traditional Yoruba elements such as draped shoulders, beaded accents, and structured lining. These pieces further engaged with the rich heritage of Aso Oke woven garments, exploring its journey, from "humble beginnings as a crop" to "art form and traded good."

Looking ahead, the next iteration of Head of State's Exhibition Series will return to New York City.