Mood board: The show – named ‘Orlando' – was the second part of a three act project by the brand. The final stage will culminate in a series of costumes designed for the Vienna State Opera’s world premier of Orlando, composed by Olga Neuwirth. It is a version of Virginia Woolf’s gender defying 1928 novel which sees a poet travel through 300 years of history, starting as a nobleman under Elizabeth I’s reign, changing sex from male to female along the way. ‘My love of clothes interests me profoundly,' Woolf wrote in her diary in 1925. Rei Kawakubo’s interest spanned the Elizabethan era, 18th century, the modern age and the future, and her collection featured a series of bulbous, brocade heavy constructions, uncharacteristically adorned with 3D florals, flounces of tulle and macramé, or sporting protective padding, the Comme des Garçons and resplendent fringing.
Best in show: Of the more Elizabethan silhouettes, a bubble like pannier skirt was formed from a glittering bright blue and fuchsia jacquard paneled with a patchwork of golden squares. More futuristic was a sporty pair of leggings with bulging knee pads, paired with a tailored jacket and a rose red opera coat, embellished with frothy flounces of tulle resembling silk. This was escapist liberation of time through clothing.
Finishing touches: Models sported pretty patchwork ankle boots or delicate ballet flats with socks which tied up the leg like tiny gaiters.
Comme des Garçons S/S 2020.
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Wolves Lane Centre brings greenery, growing and grass roots togetherWolves Lane Centre, a new, green community hub in north London by Material Cultures and Studio Gil, brings to the fore natural materials and a spirit of togetherness
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Out of office: the Wallpaper* editors’ picks of the weekMuch of our team was in Copenhagen for 3 Days of Design this week. For those left basking in the London heatwave, it was architecture workshops, photography exhibitions and two very different performances: ballet and Britpop
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The best bars in London for bartending greatnessFrom chic hotel cocktail classics to game-changing flavour combinations, our resident drinks correspondent, Neil Ridley, explores ten of the best bars in London
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What the Wallpaper* editors are looking forward to at Men’s Fashion Week S/S 2026As Men’s Fashion Week S/S 2026 begins in Florence, the Wallpaper* style team select the moments they will be looking out for – from Jonathan Anderson’s anticipated Dior debut to outings from Wales Bonner, Kiko Kostadinov and Prada
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Donna Trope celebrates the power of the Polaroid in Paris‘Polaroids used to be my rejects, and now they are my holy grail,’ says the beauty photographer, as she shows rarely seen images in a Paris exhibition
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Horace’s new men’s scent is the linen shirt of the fragrance closetVetiver Primavera, the new fragrance from men’s grooming brand Horace, is casual but elegant, says Wallpaper’s Mary Cleary – a citrussy scent for summer
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‘Don’t forget to get the bread!’ Serge Lutens writes an ode to a singular perfumePublished exclusively by Wallpaper*, Serge Lutens writes an ode to Jeux de Peau, a singular perfume of his creation inspired by a childhood memory of baking bread
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French skincare brand PERS doesn’t believe in overcomplicated routinesFrench skincare brand PERS – an acronym for ‘protect, enhance, repair, and stimulate’ – has recently arrived in the UK. The mastermind behind it, Dr Antoni Calmon, tells Wallpaper* about his protocol
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What did Christian Dior’s favourite ‘invisible’ flower smell like?Dior’s Francis Kurkdijan recreates the scent of a rare lily of the valley species in Le Muguet, the first olfactory chapter of new perfume collection Les Récoltes Majeures
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Inside Camperlab’s Harry Nuriev-designed Paris store, a dramatic exercise in contrastThe Crosby Studios founder tells Wallpaper* the story behind his new store design for Mallorcan shoe brand Camperlab, which centres on an interplay between ‘crushed concrete’ and gleaming industrial design
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This perfume bottle archive was nearly lost. Now, it offers a rare whiff of fragrance historyFifty blueprints from a forgotten French crystal manufacturer will be for sale as part of the New York International Antiquarian Book Fair
