Mood board: For London-based designer Eudon Choi, fashion, art and architecture go hand in hand. Research into one canonical figure, like modernist architect Eileen Gray, leads to the discovery of other influential figures, like French painter Ivan da Silva Bruhns. For A/W 2019, Choi looked to the famed saturated and hyper-real photographs of French photographer Guy Bourdin, and the Swiss surrealist artist Meret Oppenheim.
Bourdin’s bold use of colour was evoked in bright panelled leather skirts and two-tone tailoring, a Scarlett trenchcoat adorned with tiny sequins, and bright graphic bags. Devoré velvet, gauzy chiffon and corduroy added to the intensity. Oppenheim was renowned for her strong sense of self. Her most famed sculpture, Le Déjeuner en fourrure (1936), a fur covered teacup and spoon, was a surrealist exploration of affluence, domesticity and female eroticism. Strength came in assertive silhouettes, like androgynous tailoring, slashed pencil skirts and excellently cut overcoats.
Scene setting: London’s South Bank has long inspired its designers: Roland Mouret shows in the brutalist landmark The National Theatre, while just over the road, Margaret Howell’s location of choice is dance company Rambert. For A/W 2019, Choi showed near the bank of the River Thames, erecting a graphic runway inside a series of raw shipping containers. The location was inspired by the backdrop of Bourdin’s images, who often shot against an urban wasteland. ‘He photographed a lot of erotic boudoir scenes, and a lot of industrial settings’ Choi said backstage.
Sound bite: Oppenheim also famously modelled for Man Ray (Bourdin was his protégé), and was shot nude in 1933 next to a printing wheel. ‘She was strong and powerful,’ Choi adds, ‘and refused to merely be termed a female artist.’ §
-
Lighting designer Andi Watson on creating Mitski’s sculptural stage for 'The Land'In Mitski’s live show and new concert film, a single beam of light becomes her dance partner. Lighting designer Andi Watson discusses turning shadow, movement and restraint into the architecture of feeling
-
Making mirrors with A Vibe Called Tech, the collective democratising designLast week, Wallpaper* Paris Editor Amy Serafin spent a day with a group of creatives led by Julie Richoz, making mirrors: here's what went down (and how to make your own)
-
A postcard from We Design Beirut: 'We’re learning how to break barriers and create dialogue'The second edition of We Design Beirut celebrated design, architecture, heritage and creativity
-
‘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
