Chalayan S/S 2018

Scene setting: Hussein Chalayan presented his ‘Entitle’ collection at Sadler’s Wells Theatre in London. The performance art-focused venue was particularly apt, as the designer’s collection was a protest against the theatre of social media, and a culture of self-worth that is based on likes, comments and going viral. Motifs in Chalayan’s collection – marked by oversized tailoring, draped silhouettes and exaggerated proportions – riffed on the rise of digital sensationalism. Swarovski-detailed Post it Notes flickered off column dresses, and models were shrouded by sunglasses and gauzy headscarves.
Mood board: The show climaxed, models appeared on stage, clad in long column gowns and wearing sparkling embellished headdresses, which squared their visage. Were these faces that had lost their identity, overshadowed by the angular frame of their phones, or people born again by the glittering beaded foliage around them?
Best in show: A series of charcoal-grey opening looks were a refreshing lesson in finely cut tailoring. These included a slouchy V-neck shirt jacket and a well formed narrow strapped playsuit; the pieces spoke of Chalayan’s signature silhouettes. An electronic soundtrack pulsed in the background, while the lyrics ‘I missed my VCR for so long’ nodded to the designer’s sentimentality for an earlier age.
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
-
Architect Erin Besler is reframing the American tradition of barn raising
At Art Omi sculpture and architecture park, NY, Besler turns barn raising into an inclusive project that challenges conventional notions of architecture
-
Boathouse Zaka is the radical renovation of an ageing structure into a light-filled workspace
OFIS Architects turns a traditional boathouse into a lakeside laboratory on one of Slovenia’s best-loved bodies of water
-
Mercedes streamlines the CLA Shooting Brake to create an aerodynamic electric load lugger
The new CLA Shooting Brake is the first ever electric estate car from Mercedes-Benz, a tour-de-force of quiet technology and elegant lines
-
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
-
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
-
Margaret Howell London Fashion Week Women's S/S 2019
-
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
-
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
-
Nicholas Daley's multicultural roots celebrated in London
-
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
-
Erdem A/W 2020 London Fashion Week Women's