london fashion week: acne
(images via lfw)
you always know a collection the plaid wearing hipsters will swarm over en masse, perhaps trading their favourite trucker hats for is coming when the designer says they found inspiration from a ‘real’ source. in acne’s case, for the a/w 2011 effort, creative director jonny johansson name-checked “the girls in [his] design studio.”
the notion of receiving creative fuel from others designers work with, or treating fashion as a more collaborative attempt has been rather hot lately, with rag and bone’s ‘diy’ campaign, and, to a lesser extent, melissa’s diy shoe. but perhaps i’m digressing, and anyway, mr. johansson also cited artist daniel silver as inspiration.
anyway, whatever the reason, his heart or his shoes, references, the show bore the characteristic acne androgyny, as well as more youthful pieces, like the sporty metallic-striped trousers, the outstanding jumpsuits, and motorcycle jackets. the striking colour choices also brought verve to the staples, with pieces in rose, avocado, wine, pale blue, and mustard.
reflecting a little further, perhaps bright young things weren’t just serving as inspiration for their aesthetics, either; style opines that the aforementioned atelier girls represent, “people who conjured maximum cool out of minimum budget, reconfiguring workwear as a chic little something.” wouldn’t it be a treat for high fashion to make something of that, rather than simply a way for the haves to laugh at us all, feeling that they’ve just got a little more ‘street’ because of it? still, it’s an interesting thought. and designers have reconsidered some of their prices in the deathly economy, so perhaps there is an upside, after all.
(watch a short show video here)
updated: with new images
