Qasimi S/S 2020 London Fashion Week Men's

Mood board: The work of designers today is clicked and swiped in-and-out of multiple contexts stretching across the globe. The notes for Khalid Al Qasimi’s show opened with a reference to ongoing tension in the Middle East. It isn’t easy to challenge or influence political ideologies with clothes, but Qasimi’s childhood, growing up in the United Arab Emirates, is never far from his research. For S/S20 he explored familiar territory, looking at the notion of urban nomads and utopian ideas of the future. This time, the look was lighter and relaxed. Sun-bleached and sensual.
Best in show: Military references are at the core of menswear and most often influence the cut and shape of garments; here they guided the textile. Military canvas and heavy twills were used in clothes that had a rippling sensuality. A pale pink ripstop tracksuit was sheer; silk jelabas unbuttoned at the sides revealed a naked torso. Dimpled technical seersucker suits possessed a chic calm. Knitted racer back vests shaped an athletic body. Some pieces were riveted together, perverting the nuts and bolts of armoured fighting vehicles.
Sound bite: Qasimi was feeling hopeful this season: ‘Coming from the Middle East we have a duty to discuss politics and push things forward, the messages are political quite often but I am also really just expressing myself in the only way I know how – through fashion. I want people to be able to relate to a sense of hope and liberation,’ he said.
Qasimi S/S 2020. Photography: Jason Lloyd-Evans
Qasimi S/S 2020. Photography: Jason Lloyd-Evans
Qasimi S/S 2020. Photography: Jason Lloyd-Evans
Qasimi S/S 2020. Photography: Jason Lloyd-Evans
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
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.
-
Watch dance, music and film collide at a unique event at Abbey Road Studios
In this exclusive film, watch Abbey Road’s first Artist in Residence, Jordan Rakei, collaborate with industry-leading creatives to produce a dance performance in the hallowed Studio One
By Anna Solomon
-
Frances Elkins gets her dues at Christie's this June
You can soon take home a piece of the legendary American designer’s legacy…including a $3 million Alberto Giacometti sculpture.
By Anna Fixsen
-
The new Phone 2 Pro from CMF combines generous scale with true affordability
We explore the ins and outs of the CMF Phone 2 Pro, the newest device from the Nothing sub-brand that focuses on bold design and carefully honed value engineering
By Jonathan Bell
-
Inside Louis Vuitton’s Murakami London pop-up, a colourful cartoon wonderland with one-of-a-kind café
Wallpaper* takes a tour of the Louis Vuitton x Murakami pop-up in London’s Soho, which celebrates the launch of a new ‘re-edition’ accessories collection spanning the greatest hits from the Japanese artist’s long-running collaboration with the house
By Jack Moss
-
Get to know Issey Miyake’s innovative A-POC ABLE line as it arrives in the UK
As A-POC ABLE Issey Miyake launches in London this week, designer Yoshiyuki Miyamae gives Wallpaper* the lowdown on the experimental Issey Miyake offshoot
By Jack Moss
-
Margaret Howell London Fashion Week Women's S/S 2019
By Dal Chodha
-
London Fashion Week S/S 2023: Ahluwalia to Martine Rose
Though slimmed-down, London Fashion Week nonetheless provided the moments of creative expression the city is known for – from Ahluwalia’s ode to Africa to Martine Rose’s much-anticipated runway return
By Jack Moss
-
Discover these fashion brands at London Craft Week
During London Craft Week, fashion brands including Smythson, Bally and Serapian are hosting events across the capital
By Hannah Silver
-
Nicholas Daley's multicultural roots celebrated in London
By Laura Hawkins
-
V&A spotlights the sartorial and social significance of the kimono
For the latest endeavour of London's Victoria and Albert Museum, Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk explores the evolution of the iconic Japanese garment
By Grace Cook
-
Erdem A/W 2020 London Fashion Week Women's
By Laura Hawkins