Matty Bovan, Fashion East
“Lol. Only for you @kegrand #bleachedbrows @babbym” wrote Hailey Baldwin under an Instagram taken backstage – with Hailey in the makeup chair sporting two fresh lines of bleach over her eyebrows. This was for York-born Matty Bovan’s first collection for London Fashion Week. Yes you heard correctly – Hailey Baldwin bleached her eyebrows for the debut show of a barely graduated designer at London Fashion Week. Championed by Katie Grand (who was creative consultant on the show), Matty graduated Central Saint Martins in 2015, but has already won the L’Oréal Professionnel Creative Award and the LVMH Graduate Prize, worked for Marc Jacobs, Louis Vuitton and Miu Miu, and modelled in a Marc Jacobs campaign shot by David Sims to boot. Today he opened the Fashion East catwalk as part of Lulu Kennedy’s seriously talented collective. At 26 years old, that’s a pretty phenomenal start in the fashion game. And Hailey Baldwin is getting in line to bleach her eyebrows.
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Whatever Matty’s show was on, we want some of it. He presented a shredded collection of womenswear in acid-bright colours – spray painted, knitted, crocheted. There was so much going on it was hard to pick out any one thing. Maybe the ruffled, spray-painted metallic tri-colour boob tube? Maybe the orange fishnet tights? Maybe the PVC skirts, the off-the-shoulder neon yellow dresses or clashing two-tone red and blue hair? There was fabric everywhere, colour everywhere, and metallic lines draped in loose, loose knits over looks – evidencing Matty’s Fashion Knitwear MA under the tutelage of the late Louise Wilson.
With the support of Lulu Kennedy, Fashion East and Katie Grand, Matty Bovan is occupying the most exciting corner of the London fashion scene right now. We can’t wait to see how this collection translates to the streets because it’s thoroughly complex, and highly difficult to style if you’re even 1% introvert. And that is exactly what London fashion is about.
Mimi Wade, Fashion East
For her second collection for Fashion East, girl on fire Mimi Wade presented a harem of hardcore girly-girls standing on podiums under a pink-lettered sign that read "Mimimount." Wearing dainty silk slips with netting and lace trims, the girls guarded over the London fashion scene like The Girls Of Old Town in Frank Miller’s Sin City. ‘Suggested for mature audience’ was printed across the front of a prom-sleeved, pink, cherry-printed dress with a lace neckline. Next, a hot pink silk negligee reading “Angel Face”, a Dalmatian-printed dress and a T-shirt with a white lace ruffled neck emblazoned with “100% Juicy”. In Mimi’s words, the collection was inspired by “some noir and some 1970s Japanese Sci-Fi horror films.” The models – sporting greasy peach coloured hair and shaven Mod-style cuts – walked the tightrope between sickly sweet, school disco dressing, and middle finger punk. Styled with sparkly dangling earrings and stripy red mules, Mimi once again created the girl you want to be.
For her second collection for Fashion East, girl on fire Mimi Wade presented a harem of hardcore girly-girls standing on podiums under a pink-lettered sign that read "Mimimount." Wearing dainty silk slips with netting and lace trims, the girls guarded over the London fashion scene like The Girls Of Old Town in Frank Miller’s Sin City. ‘Suggested for mature audience’ was printed across the front of a prom-sleeved, pink, cherry-printed dress with a lace neckline. Next, a hot pink silk negligee reading “Angel Face”, a Dalmatian-printed dress and a T-shirt with a white lace ruffled neck emblazoned with “100% Juicy”. In Mimi’s words, the collection was inspired by “some noir and some 1970s Japanese Sci-Fi horror films.” The models – sporting greasy peach coloured hair and shaven Mod-style cuts – walked the tightrope between sickly sweet, school disco dressing, and middle finger punk. Styled with sparkly dangling earrings and stripy red mules, Mimi once again created the girl you want to be.
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A.V. Robertson, Fashion East
Amie Robertson graduated from Central Saint Martins in 2014, and, last season, Marc Jacobs was sat front row at her show, bopping along to the music. For this, her second season with Fashion East, Amie was also inspired by sci-fi horror, playing The Prodigy’s “Firestarter” as models walked in sheer, embroidered organza pieces, aluminium silver skirts, patent nude stilettos and overcoats loosely based on scientist’s lab coats. It was rave culture set in a future world. Makeup artist Lucy Bridge created an incredible beauty look using chemical-yellow as a skin base around the lip area, contrasted by thick, glittery, midnight blue lips.
Richard Malone, Fashion East
Irish born designer Richard Malone changed the tempo as the last showcase in the Fashion East medley. His collection was specifically inspired by the uniforms worn by hospital cleaners, but made covetable and high fashion in pinstripe fitted shorts, bodycon dresses in sports team colours and off-the-shoulder, tightly-structured silhouettes. Playing with workwear, sportswear and tailoring, Richard created a functional but feminine collection that didn’t have the cool factor of his peers, but was the more accomplished for it. He was described by Dazed earlier this year as “one young designer unbothered by fame”, and that was apparent in his refined, original collection that went against the grain.