The up-and-comers featured in Fashion East's Spring lineup could not have been more different from one another. The audience was presented with the grungy, tactile creations of returning designer Louise Alsop; the conceptual but wearable looks of knitwear talent Helen Lawrence (now in her sophomore season with the initiative); and the outré, vampire-themed collection of newcomer Ed Marler. There was a common thread, though, according to Fashion East founder Lulu Kennedy. "They're all very experimental," she said after the runway show. "They're each really just trying stuff out, but they've got a real focus on their own kind of girl. And I love that I can see mini versions of each designer walking down the runway."
Nowhere was that statement truer than in Marler's collection. He took his bow wearing a white "bulletproof vest," as he called it, with gold baroque hand embroidery, and low-riding black trousers boasting attached boxer shorts done half in leopard print and half in a burgundy and gold spotted pattern. Apparently, that was a rather tame outfit for him.
The same pieces appeared in his Spring range, which told the story of a vampire gang who had patched together their clothes from various fabrics they'd collected throughout their never-ending lives. The overall look was quite costumey, what with the codpieces, crowns, and corsets (and at times it was a little too reminiscent of Vivienne Westwood or Meadham Kirchhoff), but the clothes were well made. "At the moment, I'm just trying to establish an identity for myself," said Marler. "But I think you can break it up into more wearable things." There was no toning down a pair of lace-up leopard pants, but a sculpted black coat had some serious potential, and a romantic rosebud silk and black lace gown with utilitarian straps—notably worn by a male model—was lovely.
Helen Lawrence showed unconventional outfits that were well styled on the runway, but could be broken down into uncomplicated separates, too. "I wanted a really normal girl…with a strange curiosity," said Lawrence. To drive home the "normal" point, her models carried sacks filled with corn or broccoli, as if to say, "She's the real girl! She's just been shopping in her weird clothes!" About those clothes: De- and reconstruction were the focuses here. Lawrence's approach to layering was clever, as was her use of color (yellows, greens, bubblegum pink, and baby blue were the hues of choice). Latex accents that seemed to melt out from beneath sweaters, or provided a pop as floppy epaulets, added to the "strangeness" of it all—as did bone jewelry made in collaboration with Slim Barrett. Lawrence's little sweaters embellished with plastic and contrasting thread, knit shorts, and jackets will do well with retailers like Opening Ceremony, where, impressively, she's already stocked.
Louise Alsop, meanwhile, continued her '90s kick this season with a gritty collection that combined hugely oversize silhouettes with shredded body-con dresses. Alsop's use of delicate thread to create dresses with a webbed or shredded effect brought a delicacy to her grunge aesthetic. One spaghetti-strap black slipdress had cobweb-like matted yellow strings dripping down the body. "They're kind of more beautiful when they just tangle," Alsop said. The effect was haunting. Other standout elements included an Abstract Expressionism-inspired print, which was splashed on an A-line skirt, a bra top, and a little strapless frock, as well as frayed, layered looks hand-screened with hazy streaks of black, white, and acid yellow. On the whole, it was East London cool to a T.
Said Kennedy: "They're discovering their signatures and aesthetics, but I think there's a braveness in these clothes. Now is their time to work it all out. It's their time in general." So long as they use that time wisely, some of these newbies could go a long way.