Marques’Almeida A/W 2016

Mood board: Extra long sleeves, raw edges, super flares and seriously eclectic layering is having a bit of a moment this LFW. Marta Marques and Paulo Almeida closed the London proceedings with a collection that was meant to feel like real clothes that had tumbled out of the wardrobe with a mismatched eccentricity. Given that this was a winter show, oversized sweatshirts or fleecy zip-ups stepped in for coats, while they experimented with new fabrications such a semi-transparent herringbone devoré, stretch net and gingham checks, along with super-sized volumes – cue quilted parkas that were asking for an invitation to club duvet.

Best in show: The pair’s herringbone printed denim (cut in ruffled skirts, flares and zip-up halter neck tops or jean jackets) and neon dipped shearlings will be fast pick-ups with their legions of fans. Which also brings us to the show’s model casting...

Team work: This season the duo cast a real life bunch of friends and clients in the place of models. They explained in their show notes that they’ve so far found agency girls quite limiting when it comes to communicating their raw aesthetic. It’s a creative move that has recently become popular again in Paris stemming from Vetements’ presentations, and certainly lends depth to portraying how a designer sees their clothes worn in life. A notion that loops back to the film Kids, which has long inspired Marques’Almeida’s independent spirit.