Last weekend Fashion East celebrated the twentieth anniversary of their multi-designer showcase, commemorating their work with 144 designers & brands and innovators of British fashion.
‘Looking back over twenty years of helping London’s best designers is wild! I’m incredibly grateful I’ve been able to do what I love doing best. I wouldn’t change a thing. It is an honour to get to work with and present these four fabulous talents this season. I am in awe of their visions, creativity, optimism and the resilience they have shown throughout these difficult circumstances, ’ commented Fashion East Founder Lulu Kennedy.
For the occasion , in light of the current social distancing measures, the house proceeded with this year’s SS21 showcase with a digital exhibit with a roster of four designers including up and coming names like MAXIMILIAN, GOOMHEO, Nensi Dojaka & Saulnash, each of whom brought something new to the table.
Trinidadian designer Maximillian pulled on his cultural heritage with a collection that referenced Trinidad & Tobago’s annual carnival that was born from a resisistance of Eurocentric traditions following their emancipation in 1834. The collection visualised a contemporary evolution of some of the key dresses of the era including starched Jean-Baptiste Belley styled white cravats made into keyhole halter tops paired with low-slung waist pants and micro miniskirts. He paid homage to contemporary carnival costumes through details like hammered silk skirts trimmed with goose boots feathers, bralettes cut with harnessed backs & custom headpieces made by Nasir Mazhar. The collection was a celebration of Caribbean heritage and modern black identity which was also reflected in the way it was presented, which was a majestic shooting in collaboration with photographer Rafael Pavarotti & stylist Ib Kamara.
On her second showcase with Fashion East, designer GOOMHEO took on an alternate view from her last perspective of flourishing romance for a sensuous vouyeristic timbre. She presented a collection influenced by the erotic paintings of German artist Paul Wunderlich. She translates his visions of the nude female figures with to a curvilinear heavy draped female with silk chiffon sashes , roll neck crop tops & low waistband. She created a hide and peek effect with each piece, exploring what it means to be watched and be the subject of ones attentions.
On a similar note, designer Nensi Dojaka played with abstract shapes and shades around the female body. “The lightness of movement I witnessed in a Sylvie Guillem ballet at Sadler’s Wells came to mind. During lockdown from the peace of my studio, I also had the opportunity to explore the art of draping,” Dojaka explained.
The collection was composed of new capsules of swimwear, body wear and long evening dresses. Backless bodysuits , dresses and swimsuits made in lycra, with different shades of black, caramel , and sepia with sheer chiffon, stretch silk , jersey, tulle and organza. For a playful interpretation, the designer also collaborated with photographer Harley Weir and stylist Francesca Burns for a series of 12 images.
Saul Nash’s third collection with Fashion East is his Spring/Summer 21 collection entitled Flipside which he created around the qualities of movement, function and transformation.
“I wanted the pieces to open up and move, with this image in my head of men spinning in space. After lockdown I took a trip to the coast, which gave me a feeling of escapism. It made me think about transformation, about shape-shifting through what we wear,” he commented.
The collection was inspired by 1890’s dance pioneer Loie Fuller and the costumes of the Sufi whirling dervishes which led him to think how seemingly generic garments could be transformed, encouraging a sense of release. Many of the pieces literally flip, like a 3-D tracksuit which is green on one side and printed on the other, a reversible polo-shirt among others. Footwear is provided by Nike, customised by Hernan Guardamagna. Meanwhile, Saul’s shin bags are a collaboration with Raphael El Baz, and can be worn at the ankle, or alternatively on the arm.
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