Edward Crutchley AW24
One of the things I missed most about London Fashion Week during my 4 year hiatus was the outrageous ensembles of some of the attendees. I definitely see it more in London than in Paris, those dressed to shock. And that's what we all seem to love about London. It's almost just expected in London to boisterously announce your presence at a fashion show in the loudest most obnoxious way possible. And that's exactly what I found when I approached to be Edward Crutchley show.
Two friends dress loudly in neon green and 2000s streetwear posed for about 7 minutes non-stop for all the photographers. You could tell they loved every single minute of it. And I have to admit, it was quite entertaining watching them. Then another gentleman with a spacey-moto themed outfit appeared in what seems like a jockstrap. It's fine when he's standing outside but once seated indoors, I had to crop him out of all my shots. For obvious reasons. I mentioned these characters that take up space because it's actually quite linked to the theme of Crutchley's AW24 collection.
In this multi-cultured exploration, Edward Crutchley took influences from Greek mythology, ancient Egyptian textiles and Moroccan wall hangings. He had paired these influences with traditional English tailoring and the Tudor way of dress. The large shoulders, the empowered monarch, wearing more to "take up space" was fashionable for that time. Although this was not mentioned, when I saw the collection I felt that there were samurai influences. At about the same time, the samurais in Japan were also donning large shoulders.
I loved the way that this collection was styled. It felt like a very early 80s, almost trashy vibe. Frizzy, curly teased hair and lots of cigarette smoking. You really have to see the humor in this to appreciate the historical elements dressed in such a manner. It's almost like being flippant about history, to take it for granted. The end result however, produced a very quirky, balanced collection. One that does not get too lost in the severity of research. To me this collection was Henry VIII meets samurai and drunk auntie from 1982. I loved every single piece of it.
For more about Edward Crutchley, click HERE