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. §
