Mood board: Hussein Chalayan has never been one to shy away from pressing sociopolitical issues. For AW18, the designer tackled the subject of immigration, and more specifically, the importance of integration. Titled Périphérique (or peripheral) the collection articulated a violent imaginary journey starting from centre of Paris to its banlieues – the suburbs which have come to define unintegrated immigration. What followed was a series of strong, sharp-edged tailored skirt-suits and high-necked blanket coats that gave way to softer, more liberated dresses, tunics and trousers in a placid palette.
Show setting: Chalayan returned to Sadler’s Wells once again this season, presenting his runway show on a large white stage usually intended for contemporary dance performances. The venue was apt, given the carefully choreographed routine, which saw models circle and walk alongside each other, occasionally stopping as though being confronted or interrupted. A video showing a hazy winter’s journey around the outskirts of a town, as seen by a fast moving car or train at a distance, was projected onto the backdrop of the set.
Best in show: Translucent plastic headpieces – some of which were constructed to entirely cover the face like a modern-day gas mask – communicated the idea of putting up a physical barrier within a community. While a procession of harmonious two-tone pleated silk dresses with undulating tulle overlays offered an optimistic conclusion to the show.
Chalayan A/W 2018.
Chalayan A/W 2018.
Chalayan A/W 2018.
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Bengi Ünsal steers London's ICA into an excitingly eclectic directionAs director of London’s Institute of Contemporary Arts, Bengi Ünsal is leading the cultural space into a more ambitious, eclectic and interdisciplinary space
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Tashkent’s new art centre will put Uzbekistan on the global cultural mapCCA Tashkent, the city's new Centre for Contemporary Arts, designed by Studio KO, is set to open in a few months, becoming the first institution of its kind in Central Asia
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Discover the work of Richard England, the lesser-known postmodernist from MaltaRichard England, arguably Malta's most influential architect, might not be as well-known as others in the postmodernist realm, but he has been prolific, his work mesmerising and inspiring to this day; we visited a show in Marseille surveying his career
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‘Dirty Looks’ at the Barbican explores how fashion designers have found beauty in dirt and decayFrom garments buried in River Thames mud to those torn, creased and stained, ‘Dirty Looks’ is a testament to how ‘creativity and new artistic practices can come out of decay’, its curators tell Dal Chodha
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Tyler Mitchell’s London show explores the figure of the Black Dandy, ‘imagining what else masculinity could look like’Originally part of a visual essay to accompany the Met’s ‘Superfine’ 2025 Costume Institute exhibition, ‘Portrait of the Modern Dandy’ goes on display at Gagosian Burlington Arcade in London this week
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Inside Louis Vuitton’s Murakami London pop-up, a colourful cartoon wonderland with one-of-a-kind caféWallpaper* 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
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Get to know Issey Miyake’s innovative A-POC ABLE line as it arrives in the UKAs A-POC ABLE Issey Miyake launches in London this week, designer Yoshiyuki Miyamae gives Wallpaper* the lowdown on the experimental Issey Miyake offshoot
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Margaret Howell London Fashion Week Women's S/S 2019 -
London Fashion Week S/S 2023: Ahluwalia to Martine RoseThough 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
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Discover these fashion brands at London Craft WeekDuring London Craft Week, fashion brands including Smythson, Bally and Serapian are hosting events across the capital
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Nicholas Daley's multicultural roots celebrated in London
