Catwalk view of two models wearing looks from OAMC's collection. One model is wearing a white top, brown, blue and red jacket, brown trousers, white belt and brown boots. And the second model is wearing a black top, grey grid style suit, grey plaid coat, blue shawl with black writing and black boots. There are people seated on both sides of the catwalk
OAMC A/W 2018
(Image credit: TBC)

Scene setting: the inside of the Palais des Beaux-Arts was set up like a series of narrow corridors lined in floral wallpaper with beige carpet. The environment replicated what designer Luke Meier called ‘a generic home’ – a place that is both familiar and far away at the same time. At the forefront of the research was the sense of homely comfort and how often it can manifest in different ways for us all.

Mood board: the show opened with a heavy Loden felt shirt cut raw on the edge, giving it a sculptural, elevated quality. The influence of military garments came from the artists Joseph Beuys and Ellsworth Kelly and their time serving in WW II. Beuys used felt as a core material due to experiences in the war. Kelly – whose graphic colourful canvases are a favourite of the Instagram generation – was part of the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops, better known as the Ghost Army, who would impersonate Allied Army battalions to deceive the enemy. Meier translated these ideas into the heavy, rounded volumes on coats; seams are welded and archetypal army garments are translated in light silk organza.

Finishing touches: the clothes were sharp and modern in a way that will please die-hard followers of fashion; floral upholstery motif fabrics were used in tailored topcoats and suiting. Graphic shapes were printed over felt shirting and coats, evoking the message of Kelly onto the medium of Beuys. Postcard prints were used on quilted linings, shirting and technical outerwear. Standout were the lace-up leather boots featuring cutaway uppers, which exposed linings in felt, naturally.

Catwalk view of two models wearing looks from OAMC's collection. One model is wearing a white top, black coat, black trousers and black boots. And the second model is wearing a light brown top, a light blue semi-transparent piece with pockets over the top, light brown trousers and dark yellow boots. There are people seated on both sides of the catwalk

OAMC A/W 2018

(Image credit: TBC)

Catwalk view of two models wearing looks from OAMC's collection. One model is wearing a grey and white piece, blue jacket with red element, black trousers and black boots. And the second model is wearing a light coloured piece with darker coloured design and black collar, a cream jacket with black fur and yellow element, brown trousers, green belt and dark red boots. There are people seated on both sides of the catwalk

OAMC A/W 2018

(Image credit: TBC)

Catwalk view of two models wearing looks from OAMC's collection. One model is wearing a dark green high neck top, dark green suit, a long light green and white piece with floral pattern and brown boots. And the second model is wearing a brown top, long light green and white piece with floral pattern, yellow coat and dark yellow boots. There are people seated on both sides of the catwalk

OAMC A/W 2018

(Image credit: TBC)

Catwalk view of two models wearing looks from OAMC's collection. One model is wearing a white high neck, long sleeve top, brown sleeveless piece, beige trousers and brown boots. And the second model is wearing a white high neck top, black suit, beige belt and black boots. There are people seated on both sides of the catwalk

OAMC A/W 2018

(Image credit: TBC)

London based writer Dal Chodha is editor-in-chief of Archivist Addendum — a publishing project that explores the gap between fashion editorial and academe. He writes for various international titles and journals on fashion, art and culture and is a contributing editor at Wallpaper*. Chodha has been working in academic institutions for more than a decade and is Stage 1 Leader of the BA Fashion Communication and Promotion course at Central Saint Martins. In 2020 he published his first book SHOW NOTES, an original hybrid of journalism, poetry and provocation.