In the aftermath of the Queen’s death, London Fashion Week returns with a series of shows, events, and launches to coincide with the Frieze art festival and we’ve collected a roundup of the finest Frieze fashion moments from the week.
Following the death of the Queen, various runway shows, and events were cancelled in London Fashion Week S/S 2023 due to national morning restrictions. As such, many designers and labels have chosen to reschedule their much anticipated défilé to Frieze week, which features a number of shows, events, and happenings (imagine it as a sort of fashion week mark five situation). The British Fashion Council’s big-ticket events, which are officially dubbed “Celebrating London Fashion Week,” include runway presentations by Alexander McQueen, Roksanda, and Raf Simons—the latter two of whom were originally scheduled to appear on the official London Fashion Week schedule last month.
Roksanda Ilincic
Roksanda Ilincic’s bold sculptural garments were displayed in Hyde Park’s Serpentine Gallery. In showing a collection during Frieze week, Roksanda Ilincic feels natural; she has had strong ties to the art world throughout her career, both as a collector and as a collaborator (last season, she collaborated with Eva Rothschild on the show’s geometrically coloured set).
An ode to art seemed to be the theme of this show, from inspiring the vivid outfits to the setting of the show. Roksanda displayed her collection inside Theaster Gates’ ‘Black Chapel’, an art installation, that was unveiled earlier this year. The Black Chapel is known as a place of contemplation and conviviality, a perfect setting for Roksanda’s own journey – choosing this location was a conscious decision by Ilincic because it invoked the unexpected yet meaningful emotions of death.
The collection featured voluminous, cascading gowns with 3D details that resembled abstract roses blooming, the silhouettes included exaggerated sleeves and flowing dresses that moved swiftly as the model strutted on the catwalk. It’s almost like each model served as a canvas with a variety of artistic techniques being incorporated into this collection. From swirling patterns that looked like diaphanous paintings on satin and silk to garments with black and yellow abstract lines that hinted at oriental influences.
There was an emphasis on showcasing Roksanda’s diversity with tailored pantsuits, swaggering full-length coats, and slim draped dresses among the show-stopping garments of this collection.
Images Courtesy of Roksanda
Alexander McQueen
As Sarah Burton unveiled her new collection for Alexander McQueen on the banks of the Thames, Greenwich, under a huge plastic bubble dome.
With images of Dutch artist Hieronymus Bosch woven into her body-conscious and sleek tailored collection, Burton paid homage to the late designer she worked with for years. McQueen apparently enjoyed Bosch’s restlessly imaginative works, which often depicted religious scenes and flourishing natural worlds teeming with human violence.
This is not the first time that the artist has served as a muse for the house of Alexander McQueen. In McQueen’s ‘Angels & Demons’ collection for Autumn-Winter 2010-11, paintings from the late 15th and early 16th centuries were woven into the designs- the collection was the final one designed by McQueen himself.
Burton, however, took a different approach this time. Hers was a vibrant, collaged print used for cut-out catsuits, a bodysuit with a half skirt attached, and a sculptural, strapless gown. The way that she approached the silhouettes was also different from previously seen collections, she says “it’s always about a woman dressing for a woman. It’s not a male gaze.”
It was titled ‘First Sight’, and it was centred on the concept of ‘searching for humanity’. Burton recalls the collection to be “a symbol of that humanity, a register of emotion, an expression– the human eye”. The motif of the human eye recurred throughout the collection, whether it was embroidered in shimmering sequins or crystals across a catsuit.
The collection was laden with seductive outfits. The gowns featured cut-outs that revealed whole legs, jackets with backless or slashed inlets that revealed pelvic muscles, and ultra-low-rise trousers played off of McQueen’s original ‘bumster’ designs (the extremely low-rise trousers, first shown for SS94).
Burton also aimed to empower wearers with clothes that were stripped back, dissected and focused on cut, drape, and silhouette, bringing together sliced-away tailoring and low-waist trousers – the show was reaping with influences from Lee McQueen’s previous shows and also made homage to the designers structured denim two-sets and armour-like leather bustiers.
Adding a final touch to the show was an evocation of Hieronymus Bosch’s works.
Images Courtesy of Alexander McQueen
Raf Simons
The Raf Simons fashion/rave party experience finally arrived in London.
The designer presented both his Spring/Summer 2023 collection at London’s Printworks nightclub and continued the night with a built-in afterparty during Frieze, the art fair Simons is actually a patron of.
For SS23, Raf Simons presented an edgy and sensual collection fit for a night at Printworks. “I think it’s actually the barest, most minimal collection I’ve ever done,” the designer said in an ES interview.
The collection may have been minimal, but the atmosphere was quite the opposite. The nightclub, an old newspaper printing factory that had been transformed into a bar, had almost 1,000 people crammed inside.
There were rows of guests seated on the elevated stage, close enough to see every detail of Simons’ fabrics. This collection brought back memories of McQueen’s FW97 collection “It’s a Jungle Out There,” which saw people sit or stand on the floor of a warehouse, a ‘ravey’ and nostalgic experience.
The collection itself was one of Simons’ most diverse to date. Under the ambient lighting of a techno nightclub, the SS23 collection mixed rave influences with ’80s punk references and subverted tailoring.
Hot pants and polka dot prints adorned the arms and legs of the co-ed collection, along with neon hues and skin-tight leggings. Additionally, some Berghain leather influences were evident in the runway boots, while the belted playsuits and technical details accentuated the submissive sense of design that he learned from Prada.
In a preppy trend, we saw tiny knitted tops transform into romper suits. Bringing back the underground elements were fishnets (used in over-the-shoulder bags and skimpy tops) and leather oversized biker jackets that reflected punk and glam rock styles.
The collection continued to surprise the audience, as shorts were pleated on the side to reveal slits filled with contrasting fabrics. A sense of innocence was once again provided by tanks made from thin, raw-edged cotton, while now-signature details like the skeleton cuff or bold use of alpaca wool added more punk undertones.
Images Courtesy of Raf Simons
Words By Chanelle Jassim
Graphics By Arundhati Das
