In London, the Quaint and the Quotidian

September 19, 2023

What a difference a pandemic makes. In a refreshing burst of honesty, British designers emphasized the accessible, matter-of-fact tone of garments that embarked on a creative pursuit: As an erstwhile symbol for a wearer accustomed to slouchy separates, the London runways focused on the kind of clothes cool people want to wear, day in and day out, filtering crafty, rigorously distinctive styles. And I cannot help but wonder: why settle for one reference when you could have a whole lot? British fashion has long been a bit of a magpie, creatively speaking, and recent seasons referenced an outlandish severity that creates a contrast of sorts. Perhaps in part that can be chalked up to the fact that now the capital is really getting its sights on a bracing verve that suffuses the telling of new perspectives, but London is showing serious muscle when conveying the larger vision of its universe.

Text by Chidozie Obasi
Images credited throughout

Images courtesy of Chet Lo

On practical terms, the Spring collections weren’t dissimilar to leafing through a diary: amid a sea of designers, the throughline felt clear, yes, yet sometimes a tad ludicrous (particularly the womenswear territory). But like any good journal under lock, there were great stuff in the cauldron, too: upon closer inspection, designers like Chet Lo took an active stand in reclaiming the power lost during his youth, healing the childhood wounds inflicted by a society that sidelined his cultural differences instead of celebrating them. Speaking of celebration, and the socially-minded potency that is able to infuse into clothes, the post-pandemic shift away from minimalist dressing has taken a bent towards a new look. On the women’s side, designers put their spin on Spring’s dominant trend: peplum. For men, there’s tons of structure that seems to veer towards the unisex, with a buoyant appeal for oversize fans. Lately, the mark of a great piece is how convincingly it can make a new offering look versatile. If you want to cross-dress, but aren’t willing to dig into a specific section, there must be options to fit the bill. It’s a big task, but one that British designers are taking to new heights with their play on playfulness and penchant for proportions. But volume is relative.

Images courtesy of Burberry

Using this as a baseline, Burberry offered a striking point of departure from all manner of maximalist touchpoints, sliding into a fresh take on minimalist tailoring. However, this season came with a twist: the cinched waists were gentle rather than constricting, print became prominent, while jewelry and hardware became hand-painted artworks with repeated motifs to match. While past collections have expended much effort proposing complex and sweeping shapes, this season qualified as compact — even if, beyond all manner of efforts, it remained unapologetically cheerful.

Images courtesy of JW Anderson

That streak of cheerfulness is surprisingly present at London Fashion Week, and surprisingly wearable when done by designers as apt in daywear as Jonathan Anderson: drawing from the mechanics of a garment, clothes JW Anderson’s clothes are “meant to be used, abused, exploited, used as playthings,” the designer unpacked in the notes. He sent out boxy workwear-inspired volumes, highly-practical stirrup pants and louche shirts that brought tailoring into untouched territory — these were a sort of unfussy pieces that have made him a mainstay in the British market: dressed up but inherently casual, they exemplified what Anderson called “a sense of simplicity that is not so simple, [coupled with a] practicality with the impetus of play.” JW Anderson has become a quietly commercial powerhouse, with key strengths being subtle and approachable interpretations of runway developments.

Images courtesy of Richard Quinn

In a city where grand gestures rule, Richard Quinn channeled tranquil feelings through thoughtfully crafted pieces. By all accounts, Quinn has a great past as a pattern cutter, but today he seems to stick to a comfortable fit merged with the brand’s sensibility. As for the embroidered capes and crystal-encrusted mantels, they feel redundant and didn't quite win the race.

Images courtesy of ERDEM

Erdem’s spring collection was as clean and fresh as their winter counterpart: The journey between inheritance and legacy is often defined by human determination more than fate. For Spring Summer 24, Erdem examined a story of heritage and identity, through the lens of Deborah, the late dowager Duchess of Devonshire, and her relationship with Chatsworth House. This season, Erdem was granted access to the archive of Debo, as she was fondly known by assistants and heads of state. Debo’s dedication to laying the foundations for Chatsworth’s future was remarkable. Whilst houses of similar stature crumbled, metaphorically and literally, Debo’s determination combined with her formidable warmth, ensured that Chatsworth would thrive and endure. Hands on and no nonsense, her Chatsworth hosted presidents and artists, farmers and royalty. An independence that bordered on rebellion underpinned her approach.

Images courtesy of 16 Arlington

From there on, Marco Capaldo’s 16 Arlington has quietly garnered an impressive reputation for stealthily luxurious clothes that also happen to sell like crazy. So what’s the secret? “It’s the freedom that comes with getting behind the wheel and just driving,” Capaldo says of the season’s starting point. “That sense of potential, of escape. That you can go anywhere, be anyone.” A musing that tangentially reveals a lot about our times, as it happens. For the buzz, (or, more accurately, the high-frequency skirts in macro pleats), there’s Chopova Lowena, who took folklore to the Cornish seaside for Spring/Summer 2024.

Images courtesy of Chopova Lowena

Designers Emma Chopova and Laura Lowena-Irons celebrated Heston's Flora Day festival, marking the warm and welcome onslaught of summer, bringing forth a stylistic paradox that happens to be on one’s radar: nonfashion fashion. At a time when searching out label-free anonymity in clothes is starting to seem, contradictorily, fashionable, their Spring offerings are a much-coveted, need-to-know lineup of edgy clothes for the downtown girl. And while we’re at it, London Fashion Week rolled out the normalization of underwear (side note: it has a technical bent), with pieces that the nonfashion-fashion hunter is going to feel mighty pleased to have bagged—now, and the next season, too.

Images courtesy of Natasha Zinko

There’s not much newness to them — the Milan runways have proven such with the likes of 1017 ALYX 9SM, Jordanluca and so forth — but Natasha Zinko managed to pull off a few garbs. “We all wear it; we all travel with it, stuff it in suitcases; so why do we hide it?” Zinko muses, saying it’s time to normalize it.

Images courtesy of DI PESTA

A normalization that runs apace in DI PETSA’s representation of womanhood, where all-things sheer — counterpointed to a feel of lushness — took perforated textiles to an extra level of sexy, leaving room for lengthened offerings and the sides of hips uncovered. A few elements of the collection won't make the leap to retail without some serious re-thinking.

Images courtesy of KNWLS

KNWLS’ armor-like corsets, bras and bags are crafted with the same intent: to emancipate women for the love of women, exploring embellished tassels and braided straps whipping about as she glides by. You could picture a lot of these stepping off the runway and into (London’s) real life, making for something quite so unrestrained and freewheeling. British fashion? Well, it’s not awful. Yet this season, there was enough creativity to appreciate this tightly packed meditation of wearable conundrums. At least, there’s more than enough the English folks can pick to exercise their imagination.

Fashion

ECCO.kollektive collaborates with Louis-Gabriel Nouchi

November 21, 2024

ECCO.kollektive has teamed up with Paris-based designer Louis-Gabriel Nouchi for a bold and innovative Spring/Summer 2025 collection. Known for his thoughtful exploration of masculinity and storytelling in fashion, Nouchi brings his unique perspective to this collaboration, blending his modern aesthetic with ECCO’s skill in craftsmanship and material innovation.

The collection features a range of footwear, clothing, and accessories, each designed with attention to detail. The collection uses a mix of black, deep red, and pearl white. Sensual touches, like Nouchi’s signature slits, combine with structured tailoring and flowing shapes, showing how the designer blends bold and refined styles.

We spoke with Louis-Gabriel Nouchi about the collection and his inspiration. From the textures of the human body to his love for stretch leather, Nouchi shared how the collaboration allowed to experiment with new ideas.

By Enzo Holdt
Photography by courtesy of ECCO.kollektive x LGN

The collection debuted at Paris Fashion Week and draws inspiration from the textures of the human body. “The idea came from the textures of skin,” Nouchi explains. “I wanted to create something sensual and fluid, using leather in a way that felt both strong and soft. Leather has this amazing quality—it can feel like armor, but also like a second skin.”

Nouchi worked closely with ECCO to develop designs that showcase the versatility of their materials. High-shine biker nappa leather with a waxy finish appears in tailored separates like a single-breasted blazer, trousers, and long-line shorts. For a more experimental edge, he created a column dress and a pencil skirt using strips of leather embroidered onto stretchy tulle—a design he says was inspired by his younger self. “When I was young, I was obsessed with stretch leather because of designers like Jean-Claude Jitrois. It’s something I wanted to explore and bring into this collection, almost like fulfilling a dream for my past self.”

Footwear is another major highlight, featuring Derby shoes, Helsinki loafers, and the standout Truck Lace loafer with a bold platform. The shoe’s futuristic design draws from Nouchi’s fascination with brutalism and technology. “It might be a bit controversial,” he says, laughing, “but I really like the Tesla Cybertruck. The sharp, angular lines and futuristic look combined with that raw, brutalist vibe—it’s something that resonates with me. The platform on the Truck Lace loafer feels like a nod to that kind of design.”

Another unique detail is the inclusion of removable coins on some of the shoes, adding a playful yet personal touch. “You can take the coins off—it becomes almost like a lucky charm,” Nouchi says. “It’s one of those small details that make the pieces feel more connected to the wearer.”

Louis-Gabriel Nouchi’s signature slit motif, which adds subtle hints of reveal and concealment, runs throughout the collection. “The slit is about teasing the eye,” he explains. “It’s never about revealing too much—it’s about creating tension, a little mystery.” This motif appears on everything from loafers to hems, blending seamlessly with the collection's sensual yet structured aesthetic.

When asked about the versatility of his designs, Nouchi emphasizes their adaptability to different occasions. “You can wear these pieces in super casual situations on the street, looking super chic at night—super sexy,” he says. “From one garment, you can style it in so many ways during the day. For example, the tank top—you can wear it with pants, or without. It’s super hot, super cool, and it works for so many moments.”

For Nouchi, the collaboration with ECCO was as much about innovation as it was about creative freedom. “There are no limits with ECCO,” he says. “As a designer obsessed with materials, having the freedom to push development this far was an amazing opportunity. Fashion, for me, is like a laboratory. It’s about testing ideas and seeing how far we can take them.”

The ECCO.kollektive x Louis-Gabriel Nouchi collection is available now, combining high-quality craftsmanship with bold, modern design that showcases Nouchi’s vision and ECCO’s craftsmanship.

Fashion

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Fashion

Escaping the Glass Cage

November 19, 2024

For years, she stood still, watching life rush past her, a quiet observer behind the glass. Now, the glass is broken, and she steps out into the unknown. She walks through the city, caught between two worlds—part of it, yet apart from it.

Her journey is quiet but bold, searching for something she’s never understood, something just out of reach. On church steps and under glowing city lights, she questions everything: the rules, the past, and where she truly belongs. Each step feels both freeing and uncertain.

A curious soul in a borrowed life, she keeps moving forward, leaving behind only whispers of her escape, like a fleeting shadow in the night.