I’ve had such a great time attending numerous events and some designer displays at London Fashion Week have left me so mesmerized, I feel compelled to write about them.
Georgia Hardinge is one of those, whose Autumn/Winter collection “Hidden” created quite a buzz. She learned design at the Parons School of Art and Design in Paris where she was awarded the Best Designer Award for her graduate collection, thus catapulting her into the limelight. She then received a BFS Contemporary Scholarship by the British Fashion Council for 2014-15 and having seen her work now, I completely understand why!
Georgia Hardinge’s “Hidden” is inspired by last year’s meteor showers, and attempted to capture the mysterious nature of the universe in her designs. She experimented with lenticular techniques so that stunning illusions and angular revelations gave an intriguing edge to her clothes. Her showcase, which had both a traditional catwalk presentation and a walk-by display of models, was so full of surprises for me. The ramp models paraded outfits very clearly inspired by shooting stars having simple silhouettes in midnight hues of blue, magenta and ivory. For the display that was off the ramp, models clad in her creations stood in between holographic slats with gelled baby hair and French plaits, adding to the inventive vibe.
What I loved about Hardinge’s “Hidden” is the structural innovativeness, which I suspect comes from her deep fascination with architecture and sculpture. Seeing her collection was like watching a magic show – different angles exposed different fabrics, designs and colours, making each garment extremely striking and unique. This avant garde sense of aesthetics and design is really what experimental fashion is all about. And don’t get me wrong, most of her pieces are highly wearable as well – something you could easily sport on a date or an evening out, I am definitely getting my hands on it soon. This combination of conceptual newness and conventional stylistics made “Hidden” one of my favourite collections from the London Fashion Week.
I seriously maintain that you had to be there to understand the brilliance of it, but I hope my second-hand account has aroused your interest as well. Stay tuned for more updates from my LFW 2016 visit!
Photo Credits – Eva K.Salvi
