If the seven designers featured in Lulu Kennedy’s Fashion East menswear installation have anything in common, it’s that not one of them is a shrinking violet. Color, chaos, and cartoons burst forth, with Joseph Turvey (above) and Kit Neale paving the way. Neale, who once worked with Gareth Pugh, paid homage to Peckham (a part of London that makes Shoreditch seem absolutely gentrified) by printing a cartoonish map of the neighborhood on trousers. Turvey explained that he “loves flowers,” and there they were, blooming on a range of shirts. His explosive hues also turned up on a pair of baggy, Rothko-inspired trousers, and on the models’ hair, which was dyed pink and green.
Liam Hodges—whose models were getting a morning beer buzz while wearing his knitted, “garish,” multicolored stadium ponchos—told us that he creates “luxury that doesn’t cater to the highborns.” Meanwhile, Craig Green—the MAN designer who famously customized David Beckham’s Adidas sneakers for the Olympic celebrations—showcased a painterly range of footwear (below), which he made in collaboration with Purified. “I think these shoes will sell like crazy,” said Kennedy, adding that they were a smart way to subtly incorporate color into one’s look.
Another uniting aspect of the collections was a military theme. Meadham Kirchhoff showed vintage military footage during their presentation upstairs, and Marques’Almeida—which debuted its first menswear outing—displayed navy-and-black-camo denim looks with unfinished hems. To cap it off—literally—Tom Ryling’s models wore military berets, which for more than one onlooker evoked an image of Prince Harry in uniform.
While watching over her talents, Lulu offered a little bit of insight into this season’s LC:M. “I’ve seen things normally reserved for women, like floral, lace, and frills,” she said. “For sure, the fashion types will wear it. But really, these details are all so incredible, I hope they will trickle down into the mainstream.” Here’s hoping, Lulu.
—Afsun Qureshi
Photos: Courtesy of Fashion East
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