ALEX BAKER

AUSTERE MAGAZINE // JANUARY 13, 2016 // London Collections Men: BAARTMANS AND SIEGEL AW16

HARLEM 76 ‘Ask for Clarence’ Keeping
the spirit of the ’70s alive this season, Baartmans and Siegel have
produced a collection that transports you into the American Great
Awakening era of the 1970s.

It felt like
walking into the set of Pulp Fiction clashed with the original Charlie’s
Angels. The ‘Spanish Harlem’ theme was ever present thanks to the use
of furs, hairstyles, round sunglasses, converse trainers and soft
tailoring. Styled by Catherine Hayward, the mixture of furs, silks and
colour palettes that were all the rage in films, interior design and
fashion in the ’70s, bonded together well to create this cohesive collection.

Lucy Hardcastle, the installation designer, created industrial,
chalky sculptures to represent industrialism in New York in the
’70s. Next to the collection, the stark white sculptures show the flare
of this era surviving in the clinical corporate environment that New
York was becoming so quickly during this decade.

Baartmans and
Siegel have created an on-trend collection of men’s and womenswear for
LCM this season with a literal modern adaptation of how the ’70s are
making a comeback this year. The hand embroidery on the pieces adds a
more luxurious and personal feel to the garments, which is another
reason why the brand does so well.

Photography by Luke Hutson-Flynn


AUSTERE MAGAZINE // January 12, 2016 // London Collections Men: BERTHOLD AW16

This is the third time Raimund Berthold has presented at London Collections
Men, and the use of silhouettes in this collection are a great
representation of the theme he chose for this season.

With the intention of showing how clothing can envelope the body,
BERTHOLD mixes “the tension between covering and smothering.” The loose
tailoring portrays how we use clothing as an armour and defense
mechanism without being too complicated or particular, which relates
back to his inspiration of religious habits and uniforms worn by the
British army.

Throughout this collection you will see the  colours black and orange being used thoroughly to cast sharp and striking silhouettes of the model, yet when you look closer, some of the lines are very soft and gentle. This is a great effect that goes with
his armour inspiration, as it looks harsh on the outside, yet inside it
is soft, like the human beings trying to defend themselves in everyday
life.

I look forward to seeing how Berthold’s aesthetic develops further for next season.

Photography by Luke Hutson-Flynn


AUSTERE MAGAZINE // January 11, 2016 // London Collections Men: Alex Mullins AW16

Alex Mullins created his Autumn 2016 collection based on everyday angst
that people endure, like waiting for the bus in the pouring rain, bored
and wet, just wanting to go home.

The ‘process of boredom’ was the suitable phrase that inspired the basis of this collection. On the runway all the models had drenched hair and shimmery faces. The silhouettes of the clothes looked heavy and slouched, like the rain makes your
favourite jumper or trousers.

Photographer Hazel Gaskin collaborated with Mullins on this collection by producing photos of bored looking people patched onto the garments for the textiles.The garments that covered the models’ faces shows the warped realism of boredom that
Mullins is portraying for Autumn 2016, but also maintains the aesthetic
that is coherent and memorable to his brand.

He has captured a relatable mundane activity that people hate doing and transformed it into something people can wear and enjoy.

Photography by Luke Hutson-Flynn

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