Wet and Messy

February 19, 2019

Wet and messy was the order of the day at Christopher Kane this afternoon. Both the weather, and the collection itself, which was based on fetishes, more specifically “sploshing” and “looning." “Sploshing,” for those unfamiliar with the term, involves the smearing of wet and messy substances, often food, over the body, whilst “looning” refers to balloon fetishes. For Kane, the latter took the form of balloons printed onto both white and shiny gunmetal fabrics. As for sploshing, the designer delivered more of his deliciously ASMR gel-filled accessories, this time in the form of long tubular earrings, dangling clutches, and sandals made of coloured gel pockets.

The collection began with stiff satin silhouettes crusted with chunky diamantés, which reappeared later on both knitwear and outerwear pieces. As the looks progressed, the more obviously fetishistic elements began to trickle in, with studded latex being employed as a jacket lapel, elbow pads, and even a scarf, which was contrasted with a soft brown knit.

Text by Georgia Graham

Kane’s signature knitwear featured throughout, arriving in the form of a hot pink diamanté edged cardigan, a knitted shawl fastened with an enormous glittering brooch over a cable knit turtleneck, and a slouchy grey jumper paired with a sheer black skirt. Other Kane classics included the graphic printed pieces, two rubber gloves printed onto the front of dresses with the word “rubberist” written beneath, and a balloon bearing the slogan “looner"—two pieces that'll definitely be shooting to the top of must-have lists come Fall. As the show drew to a close, the previously frothy lace became more intricate; delicately panelled and paired with sparkling chainmail-style looks.

Color-wise, the palette focused on bright pinks, purples, blues and cold whites, along with lots of black. There was a sense of something chaotic, something sinister—the bright prints and colors seemed to nod to the ubiquitous horror film motif of clowns and balloons. This season, Kane seems to be creating a sartorial drama that reflects the frantic, frenetic nature of his current surroundings. The gel pockets now bring to mind last year’s bizarre internet trend for ingesting tide laundry pods, evoking the manic banality of the internet age. Even the soundtrack walked a bombastic tightrope between annunciating horns and dark, throbbing bass beats.

Nevertheless, Kane brought it home with his usual panache. Fashion is an industry whose participants are more likely to play with their food than to actually eat it, so it felt apt that this idea translated into such covetable pieces. Desirable, yes, edible, no. These are clothes to smear over one’s body instead.

View some of the collection highlights, below.

Photos courtesy of Christopher Kane.

Fashion

A New Lee® and Alpha Industries Collaboration Takes Flight

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.