Mood board: The human body today breaks physical boundaries through social media, it’s an experimental entity for cosmetic surgery and filler, its idealized proportions are hyperbolic and impossibly proportioned. For Chalayan’s S/S 2020 show ‘The Postcolonial Body’ (also the title of the fourth chapter in his guest editorship of the Wallpaper* October 2019 issue), the conceptual designer was preoccupied with how our physical presence today has been shaped by historical events, specifically the dance traditions of colonized Japanese and American South American groups. As the show began an eerie alien voice echoed ‘Your meet is sweet to me’ across the space, fittingly held at Chalayan’s usual show space – dance venue Sadlers Wells. Silhouettes were framed around the idea of tension and release, constriction and freedom, floral lurex dresses engulfing model’s figures, technical suiting with pulls and ties, and jackets with sculptural body-pulling poles.
Finishing touches: The idea of ethnicity came through in thonged leather sandals with laced up the leg. The colonial explorer conveyed through brimmed hiking sun hats and models carrying Chalayan-branded walking poles.
Best in show: A series of technical tropical print dresses and skirts, with toggles and elasticated lacing, appeared to hover across the catwalk, their hems stiffened with sculptural hoops
Hussein Chalayan S/S 2020
Hussein Chalayan S/S 2020
Hussein Chalayan S/S 2020.
Hussein Chalayan S/S 2020
-
Art and culture editor Hannah Silver's top ten interviews of 2025Glitching, coding and painting: 2025 has been a bumper year for art and culture. Here, Art and culture editor Hannah Silver selects her favourite moments
-
In Norway, remoteness becomes the new luxuryAcross islands and fjords, a new wave of design-led hideaways is elevating remoteness into a refined, elemental form of luxury
-
The rising style stars of 2026: Oscar Ouyang is taking knitwear into new realmsAs part of the January 2026 Next Generation issue of Wallpaper*, we meet fashion’s next generation. Born in Beijing, Central Saint Martins graduate Oscar Ouyang is inspired by anime, medieval folklore and his friends’ wardrobes
-
‘Architect of glamour’ Antony Price makes a high-voltage return to the runway with 16ArlingtonFeaturing a runway debut from Lily Allen, the show saw legendary designer Antony Price – best known for outfitting Roxy Music in the 1980s – unite with 16Arlington’s Marco Capaldo on the sensual after-dark collection
-
‘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
