Eastwood Danso AW24

"Did you like the show?", asked the girl on the train as we had both just left the show. "No" , I said. And at that time I meant it ...

"Wicked Love" is Eastwood Danso's second collection. This London-based label is steeped in heritage. German Ghanaian designer Eastwood Danso rummaged through family archives and explored themes from the mid-80s through the early 2000s. These nostalgic times were reflected in this collection and the story is told through garments, accessories and objects.

The collection itself was not extraordinary. Pants, shirts, jackets, repeat. The motifs weren't intricate, the design silhouettes weren't remarkable. It seemed like we all waited a very long time for a show that was delayed for an hour and didn't seem really worth the wait in the end. The guests behind me were commenting (regarding the venue), "...this is very low budget" while we waited. The guests to my right were saying that they should have just stayed home. The music kept starting and ending, there was a very long period of time in which everyone thought the show was starting so the room was extremely quiet. It was uncomfortable, almost comical. But then the show finally did begin and as each one of the looks came down the runway they all felt a little just kind of ...basic. At least that is what I had thought at that time.

It was not until I had the chance to take a closer look at my pictures of the show did I realize that perhaps my annoyance at the time had caused me to miss some key design details. Some floral motifs that I did not think were repeated, actually were. The boxy cut of the suits were representative of the origin of the designer's story. The run of the mill grey hoodie actually had a little bit more to its silhouette than previously remembered. Upon a more careful look I discovered why this designer met season 1 with such acclaim. Not only was this collection a reflection of who this designer is at his core, it also told a story of immigration and acclamation. Everything that seemed very status quo had a bit of that hidden flair that told a story of a foreign origin. Small details such as gathered cutouts and netted crochet were sprinkled throughout the entire collection. The way that the necktie was worn with all of the button down shirts and the double breasted suits told a very nostalgic African tale. The hand painted art and the embroidery were all pieces of the rich personal history of Eastwood Danso. This was a story of how one can move from a place of origin to a foreign land but still carry that place in their every day lives; in their style, in their ways of living and in their hearts.

So now if the girl on the train asked me if I liked the show, my answer will still be the same. But I will have to add that although I didn't like the show when I initially experienced it, I have love for the collection now that I really got to see it.

For more about Eastwood Danso, click HERE