Take a deep dive into considered craftsmanship with the fashion brands celebrating London Craft Week (4 – 10 October 2021) across the capital. Whether it’s visiting an exhibition, exploring artisanal methods or discovering innovative new materials, you’re sure to feel sartorially stimulated.
Smythson
Smythson is marking London Craft Week with a celebration of its collaboration with paper artist Gill Wilson and in partnership with Guilded by Charlotte Bowater. The exhibition ‘Woven Narratives’, held at Smythson’s Sloane Street store until 24 October 2021, showcases new artworks that celebrate the craft of paper making. Wilson rethinks Smythson’s traditional Blue Nile paper with bespoke pieces that form an intricate retelling of the brand’s heritage.
Bolt Threads
Fashion brands have been seduced by Bolt Thread’s Mylo material, which offers a sustainable, animal-free alternative to traditional fabrics. Kicking off London Craft Week are designers including Adidas, Lululemon and Stella McCartney, who will be exhibiting their design prototypes using the buttersoft leather alternative made from mycelium. Designs including yoga accessories and a bustier top will be showcased at the ‘Meet Mylo’ exhibition at The Mills Fabrica in King’s Cross.
Serapian
Milanese leather goods brand Serapian will be celebrating its intricate artistry at events around the city during London Craft Week. In London’s Brompton Road store, the collaboration between Serapian and Azucena will be marked with an exploration into the enduring design of the ‘Catilina’ chair. Discover one of Serapian’s artisans at work at a pop-up in Harrods, where a demonstration of the fashion brand’s signature Mosaico weaving craft will be held. At Purdey & Son’s Audley House, meanwhile, enjoy a deep-dive into the brand’s history and learn more about its bespoke service.
Bally
Bally Haus London, the fashion brand’s Regent Street flagship store, is celebrating the art of sculpture with an exhibition by artist and designer Zuza Mengham. Mengham and Bally’s shared love of design is explored in the first Bally Art Haus series, with works that draw evocative landscapes in granulated marble. The exhibition will be at Bally Haus London throughout Craft Week.
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Peek inside Uchronia’s celadon green suite at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde ParkThe Paris-based studio teamed up with Pantone to transform a suite at the storied hotel into an aquatic dreamscape. Here’s how to check in
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This legendary villa was built for the Cuban government. Now it’s The Future Perfect’s new Miami galleryWith Villa Paula, the boundary-pushing collectible design gallery expands its footprint
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Hassan Hajjaj's vibrant portraits put Moroccan women at the centre of the storyFor more than three decades, the visual artist has been making portraits that centre Moroccan culture, albeit through a subversive lens. Now, an exhibition in Toronto explores the sporty facet of his portraits
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‘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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Nicholas Daley's multicultural roots celebrated in London -
V&A spotlights the sartorial and social significance of the kimonoFor the latest endeavour of London's Victoria and Albert Museum, Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk explores the evolution of the iconic Japanese garment
