Scene setting: Halpern tapped British set designer Shona Heath to transform a derelict house in Soho into an avant-garde show space, replete with floral arrangements and wrought iron furniture wrapped in hot pink cellophane. Graffiti tags and ripped posters littered the walls, floors and windows, while 1980s-inspired neon spotlights were projected onto the designer’s signature sequin looks as models descended the crumbling stairwells. A disco dystopia that was nothing short of fierce.
Sound bite: ‘There is a real feeling of intensity in this collection, that was on purpose. I suppose it's a reaction to the time we’re living in right now. I feel like a broken record saying this, but my clothes are pure escapism – a cross between costume and fantasy. You could say its resistance dressing, not having to adhere to fashion codes. After all, what could be more daring than wearing sequins in broad daylight?’ – Michael Halpern
Best in show: Halpern broadened his design horizons this season, experimenting with freer, more voluminous silhouettes. A blue metallic bubble dress, sequin palazzo trousers and lurex tops with gigantic sleeve-cum-scarf adornments looked especially fresh alongside his outré stalwarts – the plunging jumpsuits and structured micro-dresses that we all know and love.
Halpern A/W 2018.
Halpern A/W 2018.
-
Out of office: The Wallpaper* editors’ picks of the weekFrom sumo wrestling to Singaporean fare, medieval manuscripts to magnetic exhibitions, the Wallpaper* team have traversed the length and breadth of culture in the British capital this week
-
Doshi Retreat at the Vitra Campus is both a ‘first’ and a ‘last’ for the great Balkrishna DoshiDoshi Retreat opens at the Vitra campus, honouring the Indian modernist’s enduring legacy and joining the Swiss design company’s existing, fascinating collection of pavilions, displays and gardens
-
Issey Miyake’s shape-shifting A/W 2025 collection transforms the paper bag into something you can wear‘Can anything be considered a garment, as long as it’s on the body?’ says creative director Satoshi Kondo of the art-infused collection, which sees the everyday reimagined
-
‘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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
Discover these fashion brands at London Craft WeekDuring London Craft Week, fashion brands including Smythson, Bally and Serapian are hosting events across the capital
-
Nicholas Daley's multicultural roots celebrated in London
