After a few seasons of doing presentations in New York, Scottish designer Graeme Armour decided to show by private appointment in his home base of London. The reason? To regroup and refine sample production. "We wanted to get the best product," he explained. "We produce here, and it's so expensive. We're looking a bit further afield for next season so we can get a bigger product range."
Armour's references were as far-flung as SWAT gear and John Wayne, but his nearly all-black palette brought it all together under one dark, goth-y umbrella. The designer mused that he might have pushed himself a bit further aesthetically as a result of showing in creative-leaning London versus commercially inclined New York. Perhaps it's a consequence of the color scheme (like sex, black sells), but this actually looked like Armour's most retail-ready work. Fine, the ballistic look of a strap-covered nylon vest and miniskirt aren't for everyone, but many of these ideas had serious wearable appeal. Take a simple, straight-cut silk midi dress with a leather fringe at the hem and see-through cutouts. For the girl who likes her fringe optional, there's a thick leather belt with the stuff. ("You just put that on a black dress and you're done," said Armour.) And it's not easy to have something new to contribute to the black wool coat, but the designer's beautiful unlined and sweeping belted number slit all the way up the back accomplished just that.
As it turns out, Armour said, he has more store appointments set up this season (Lane Crawford, Holt Renfrew, to name a few) than ever. We predict buyers will be happy with what they find. Nevertheless, the designer plans to return to New York next season, possibly for a full runway show.
