Last month, we hopped on the A train from Harlem to catch a flight to London for the city’s Fashion Week, held Sept. 12-17. Now in its 40th year, London Fashion Week (LFW) presented a slate of emerging and established designers who continue to position the city as an integral part of the global fashion landscape. Check out our recap and highlights below.
A fashionable tribute to music icons, Milli Vanilli
Global Fashion Collective presented the designs of Eduardo Ramos, SHINO, and the Lenifro x Fab Morvan Collection. The latter is a collaboration between Lenifro, a Spanish fashion brand founded by Helen Lopez, and Fab Morvan, the surviving member of the 1980s/1990s iconic pop duo Milli Vanilli. Steering away from their controversial lip-syncing scandal, the Rob & Fab Forever collection celebrates the duo’s signature aesthetic of prominent shoulder pads, voluminosity, and asymmetrical cuts.
“I am an ‘80s and ‘90s lover,” said Lopez. “For me, it was the perfect match to mix the Lenifro aesthetic with Milli Vanilli. These guys were icons and fashion was a big part of their story.”
With this collection, the Milli Vanilli story takes on a new angle by giving the duo credit for helping to popularize fashion and beauty trends from Spandex to eyeliner to braids, particularly for men. Reflecting on the duo’s iconic looks, Morvan shared that for him and the late Rob Pilatus, it was an organic development resulting in an androgynous style that challenged gender norms.
“We never premeditated what we did,” Morvan said. “When we were shopping in London we‘d go into a store and they would say that’s the ladies’ part. And we said, ‘If it looks good, it looks good.’ It might be tight, but that’s the fit. They couldn’t fathom that a dude would combine those two things together to express themselves. Sometimes it’s awkward to be ahead of the curve.”
With a recently released documentary and now a fashion collection, perhaps the world is catching up to fully understanding the Milli Vanilli legacy.
HARRI turns latex into wearable art
Celebrities such as Nicki Minaj and Beyonce have donned latex looks in the past. But could this style become a mainstay for the everyday fashion consumer? If the eponymous label, HARRI, has it their way, that answer is yes. During this LFW season, HARRI presented their sexy, daring, and avant-garde latex designs with the added bonus of their debut womenswear collection. Expert craftsmanship and artistry were at the center of this season’s looks, with each piece made entirely by hand. From striking proportions to meticulous couture, HARRI presented a collection that elevated latex into art.
Women and social justice take center stage at fashion exhibitions
It was about fashion with a cause at the Brazil: Creating Fashion for Tomorrow exhibition. Hosted by the Embassy of Brazil in London, this year’s edition, A Chain of Women, spotlighted women’s creativity in the fashion industry as they seek to promote greater sustainability. Curators Camila Villas, Lilian Pacce, and Marilia Biasi selected a dynamic array of talents utilizing natural materials, preserving indigenous practices, and experimenting with innovative design processes. Highlights included Marina Bitu, showcasing designs made from straw of the banana tree stem, a practice called fuxico, which originated in Africa, and Indigenous designer Day Molina’s sandals which celebrated the role her maternal family has played in her creative practice.
Similarly, Pam Hogg used her fashion exhibition, Of Gods and Monsters to raise awareness about social justice issues. The British fashion icon presented visually striking displays of dramatic fabrics, extravagant headpieces, and repurposed materials. For Hogg, the garments offer commentary on the current geopolitical landscape and those caught within war zones. When accepting her ICON Magazine Award, she shared the meaning behind her work, “…devoted to all the displaced and underprivileged here and all around the world. Especially for the people of Gaza right now.”
Professor Jimmy Choo champions emerging talent
He may be known for luxury shoes, but Jimmy Choo is ready to add professor, mentor, and champion to his list of titles. In 2021, he launched JCA London Fashion Academy, a fashion school and professional incubator seeking to develop the world’s next major fashion designers. During London Fashion Week, JCA’s latest M.A. cohort debuted their designs on the runway. One of the standout presentations was The English Man, a menswear line designed by Sasha Clegg. Her collection, The Mother’s Tongue was an ode to multiculturalism, tartan, kilts, and English football.
NOM!NAL London brings fashion to the streets
The brand, NOM!NAL London, presented a collection inspired by British public school culture under the title, School of Defiance. The looks presented included prom-inspired evening wear, loungewear, and daily uniform pieces. Adding the element of rebellion were studded leather sets referencing London’s legendary punk scene. One of the features that made this runway show unique is that after the indoor presentation concluded, the models hit the pavement for a street fashion show. It was the perfect way to encapsulate the collection’s theme of defiance.
