In her Autumn/Winter 2024 show, Dilara Fındıkoğlu unveiled 36 captivating looks, weaving a narrative of feminine allure and sensuality. Titled “Femme Vortex,” the collection was showcased within the unlit confines of St Luke’s Old Street Anglican church, a powerful setting for a collection aimed at dismantling patriarchal structures.
The runway spectacle featured a concoction of deconstructed tailored jackets, form-fitting corsets, and avant-garde accessories. Actress and style icon Hari Nef opened the show, dressed in a sheer white corset paired with a button-up shirt and blazer cinched together with a bold safety pin, accentuated by lace-up chokers and eye-catching belts.
Nodding to a lack of pockets in womenswear, the look, entitled “Female Territory” saw objects like a pen, lighter and watch stuffed in the bra cups.
Another look titled “Man License,” featured disheveled business attire juxtaposed with sheer corsets and latex opera gloves as the model carried a handbag cleverly crafted to resemble folded newspapers. On it read “OMG Dilara is doing a satanic orgy at a London Church.”
Each ensemble, meticulously curated by Dilara, exuded an aura of subversive elegance. In her show notes, the Turkish-British designer elaborated on her vision. “This is a manifesto for a world order born of an unrelenting vortex of femme energy; a way of being and feeling that transcends the parochial strictures of conventional masculinity.”
Amongst the stunning cast, notable personalities such as Richie Shazam and Lana Rhoades made appearances on the runway.
Dilara’s distinct aesthetic, characterised by its ethereal beauty tinged with an edgy and provocative undertone, evoked memories of fashion icon Alexander Lee McQueen’s groundbreaking work. Again, Dilara Fındıkoğlu has succeeded in crafting a collection that not only captivates with its aesthetic brilliance but also serves as a poignant reflection of societal norms and values, urging us to reconsider our perceptions of beauty and the feminine identity.
Reebok and London-based fashion label Aries have cast their creative forces together, unveiling their first footwear collaboration.
Since its founding in 2010, Aries has been renowned for its bold, genderless design philosophy and nostalgic nods to ’80s and ’90s culture. This January, the homegrown streetwear brand seamlessly joins forces with Reebok, a hallmark in global sportswear. The collaboration pays homage to the timelessness of the Classic Leather, a quintessential symbol of British style.
Drawing inspiration from mystics, wizards, and magicians, the Aries x Reebok Classic Leather features the Mystic’s Shoe tinted with Aries’ signature aqua and adorned with gold. Premium leather, nubuck accents, reflective features, and Aries’ gold foil wizard graphic are just a few of the design elements that make this collaboration truly mystical.
Packaged in an exclusive custom shoe box with additional gold detailing, the Aries x Reebok Classic Leather invites wearers to embrace the mystique and craftsmanship of this iconic collaboration.
Aries Creative Director and Founder Sofia Prantera expressed her excitement, stating, “Reebok’s Classic Leather is such an important symbol of British style, so it was very flattering to be asked to interpret it.” The challenge, as she sees it, is to infuse an Aries twist without compromising the shoe’s inherent simplicity.
The Aries x Reebok Classic Leather is available January 19 exclusively from
Aries (ariesrise.com) and the Aries flagship store followed by a wider global release on January 24 from Reebok.com and select specialty retailers.
East London-based rapper Chase Tha Worst has been catching the internet’s ear with a stolid and infectious flow. Hailing from Trinidad and Tobago, he’s carved his own distinct aesthetic and sound; an intoxicating blend of hip hop and funk, challenging conventions and offering a fresh perspective. That same spark is on display on No Friendz, his new single and video out now.
Last week, the rapper and producer released his debut album Tha Worst Mixtape. Tongue-in-cheek lyricism and effortless delivery can be heard drifting across his 10 self-produced songs, crossing into different genres. In No Friendz, Chase channels an energetic and laid back flow, coupled with striking visuals shot in London.
“I think in current times, music alone is not enough. I wanted to use all the creative fields I love- music, creative direction and comedy to bring the project to life and create a world around it,” says Chase.
Speaking further on his debut, “I hope that it inspires others to do the same. I hope to bring some originality and craft to not just the music but all that surrounds it – the promos, the videos, the visual identity. I think that a lot of people are caught up with trends and numbers. How do I get famous? How do I make my next song blow up? A lot of people are trying to use a formula but it’s killing the art form. I hope to inspire other artists to stop trying to feed algorithms, stop jumping on trends, and make what they really want to make.”
You can watch the official No Friendz video here, out now.
Designer Yasuko Furuta’s Tokyo-based luxury label, TOGA, is set to launch a collaborative collection with the American workwear brand Dickies. The lineup showcases timeless silhouettes infused with a Japanese Americana flair, drawing inspiration from TOGA ARCHIVES.
The collection is available from October 27. Click here for more details
Hypha Studios (HS) and Creative Land Trust (CLT) have come together to unveil MELT as part of Frieze 2023. The exhibition shines a light on 32 artists and creatives who have flourished through the support of these visionary organisations
The brainchild of Camilla Cole and Will Jennings, Hypha Studios emerged as an idea during the pandemic, prompted by the three-sided problem of increasing high street vacancies, loss of community spaces and deteriorating conditions for artists and creatives.
Set against the backdrop of London’s effervescent creative landscape, MELT stands as a testament to the city’s vibrant artistic spirit. The exhibition’s centerpiece features CLT’s remarkable studio holders from the Wallis Road site, including luminaries like Shiori Akiba, Enej Gala, and Zarina Khan. Notably, CLT’s esteemed ambassadors – Adelaide Damoah, Haroon Mirza, and Emmanuel Unaji – also take center stage, championing the cause of creating fertile ground for artists to thrive. Augmenting this eclectic gathering are Hypha Studios’ very own talents, comprising Margaret Ayres, Luca Bosani, and Kialy Tihngang.
The exhibition’s title, MELT, pays homage to the legendary FREEZE exhibition curated by Damien Hirst in 1988—a pivotal moment that reverberates through the current era of creative evolution.
Creative Land Trust’s mission revolves around the acquisition, preservation, and protection of long-term affordable workspaces for artists, while Hypha Studios facilitates free short-term studio and exhibition spaces for artists, in exchange for a public program that enriches local communities.
MELT marks a significant milestone as the inaugural exhibition at Hypha Studios’ brand-new central London location, Regent’s Place, as part of a transformative three-year partnership with British Land.
MELT will be open to public Monday 9th – 22nd October 2023, 12 – 6pm daily at Unit 3, Euston Tower, 286 Euston Road, London NW1 3DP
British shoe and accessories designer, Sophia Webster has just released a coffee table book.
Famed for her iconic butterfly heels, Webster’s eponymous footwear label was dubbed the shoe world’s new rising star since its inception in 2012, counting fashion’s key retailers -Dover Street Market, Harvey Nichols and net-a-porter.com as stockists.
In Oh My Gosh, I Love Your Shoes!, Sophia shares an intimate narrative that unveils the highs and lows of a remarkable decade spent shaping the landscape of shoe-making and fashion.
The book is part memoir, part homage to the world of high heels and haute couture. Sophia Webster takes the reins, recounting her captivating story in her own words.
Oh My Gosh, I Love Your Shoes! launches October 5th. You can find out more here.
This coming fall, Offer Waterman Gallery will unveil On Foot, an exhibition curated by Jonathan Anderson.
On Foot will bring contemporary artists into dialogue with iconic works of modern British art, from the likes of seminal artists Igshaan Adams, Frank Auerbach, and Lynette Yiadom-Boakye amongst many others.
Also on display will be Anderson’s pieces from recent seasons for JW Anderson and LOEWE, each hand-picked for its sculptural and transformative forms.
The exhibition transforms the galleries of Offer Waterman into the iconic streets of Mayfair and Soho, unfolding like a walk-through London. From your local watering hole to garden squares, the gallery’s corridors and stairways will transform into the city’s traffic-clogged streets, and busy pavements, with ceramics and sculptures representing the city’s energetic crowd. You may even spot JW Anderson’s pigeons taking over what was once the gallery’s storeroom.
British artist, Anthea Hamilton, has collaborated with JW Anderson to present a limited-edition version of the iconic pigeon clutch which will be available at both Offer Waterman and the JW Anderson Soho store.
The exhibition will open on September 18, two days after Anderson presents his S/S 2024 womenswear collection for JW Anderson as part of London Fashion Week on 16 September.
JW Anderson at Offer Waterman On Foot runs from 18 September – 28 October 2023.
Highly acclaimed British artist, Tomo Campbell, has announced his latest exhibition, Spitting Feathers. From September 14th, the Cob Gallery will host Campbell’s exceptional works, marking his third solo exhibition at the coveted venue and promises to captivate art enthusiasts and connoisseurs alike. Spitting Feathers will showcase his most extensive collection yet, displaying an intricate fusion of past, present, and future themes.
Collected by notable figures such as Harry Styles and Alexa Chung, Campbell has garnered attention for his unique artistic voice that seamlessly blends the classical with the contemporary. His creative journey navigates the delicate balance between abstraction and figuration, weaving a narrative that delves into timeless subjects such as the hunt, parades, and exploration. What sets his art apart is his distinctive style, characterised by an interplay of bold and layered arrangements in soft pastel hues reminiscent of the elegant Rococo era.
Inspired by a diverse array of source material, the exhibition invites viewers to step into a realm where tradition meets innovation.
As we await the official reveal, it’s clear that Tomo Campbell’s creative prowess continues to make waves across London’s creative landscape. Spitting Feather opens to the public on Thursday 14 September and will be on view until Saturday 7 October.
Boiler Room and Umbro have teamed up to release their latest football inspired club collection. Reflecting the freedom, colour and vibrance of rave culture in the UK, it’s presented as the ultimate kit to wear from dawn until dusk, football to festival field.
An independent music platform and cultural curator, the collection follows a series of iconic collaborations Boiler Room has released with P.A.M. and Valentino in previous years.
Designed to celebrate the early days of rave when music, fashion and football collided, the seven-piece collection features a black pinstripe tracksuit available as a drawstring short and jogger set with co-branded red vinyl gloss detail. Accompanied by a black and neon yellow oversized tee with a 3M Boiler Room x Umbro back print and matching OG sweat towel, to keep you cool from centre-pitch to centre stage.
Hero styles from the collection take the form of football jerseys, in a neon green long-sleeve goalkeeper style and black short-sleeved option, printed with an x-ray design symbolising underneath we’re all the same, one world, one community, one team.
“Umbro is such an iconic brand, we thought it would be fun to come together to design a uniform for Boiler Room. What does our team look like? It’s constantly changing but it’s always open, energetic, & diverse. A hyperlocal crew with a global mindset,” says Amar Ediriwira, Boiler Room’s Creative Director.
British nightlife photographer, Ewen Spencer captures the campaign’s imagery, worn by an electrifying crowd during the final performances of Jyoty and DJ EZ at Boiler Room London.
The Boiler Room x Umbro collaboration is available from 30 June available exclusively on the Boiler Room website.
Following this year’s CSM BA show, menswear designer Eden Tan was accorded the top honour of the L’Oréal Professionnel Young Talent. His collection, On Borrowed Fabric, places heavy emphasis on sustainability and circular production.
A Roll of Denim, image courtesy of Rebecca Maynes Photo
Of Malaysian-Chinese and British heritage, Eden Tan was born and raised in London, a city celebrated for its highly innovative fashion and creative communities. His latest collection draws from his hobby of tinkering and developing new techniques, bringing renewed life to garments and fabric found in charity shops. On Borrowed Fabric follows a material’s journey from creation, to obsolescence, and ultimately, recreation.
Utilising trompe l’oeil techniques, folds and a handful of slits, Eden had constructed a series of six looks that had been made entirely from one fabric roll -still attached to the garment.
A Roll of Latex, image courtesy of Rebecca Maynes Photo
“I don’t think my work is that deeply rooted in fashion culture, I just like to find a quirk in a piece of material and really elaborate on that,” Tan explained, “the motivation for the collection was the possibility of making clothes which could be as easily reprocessed into new garments as if the fabric had never passed through my hands.”
Tan references Schrödinger’s Cat, a thought experiment, as a core principle he held during the creation process. “Basically, a scientist puts a cat in the box with a bunch of chemicals and puts a lid over it. We won’t really know if the cat is dead or alive until we open the box. This represents a paradox of quantum superposition, one I want to demonstrate in using the same roll of fabric that remains seemingly untouched though work has been done.”
A Roll of Jersey, image courtesy of Rebecca Maynes Photo
Evidently, upcycling and rebirth are crucial themes at the forefront of Tan’s graduate collection, yet the designer is under no illusion that this project is going to save the planet. “I know it’s not a practical solution to fast fashion, but being as sustainable as possible and preserving the integrity of materials will always be important to me.”
A Roll of Silk, image courtesy of Rebecca Maynes Photo
“My work is never indulgent, it’s always restrained.”
And what’s next for Eden?
“The truth is I’m taking the whole year to not worry about the deadlines someone else has set for me. This project is over and it was a success, and I now want to take each day as it comes.”
This June, Saatchi Yates presents ‘Bathers’– a summer group exhibition celebrating the rich tradition of Bathing scenes in the history of painting.
The exhibition presents a collection of contemporary art, alongside renowned Post-War and Historical Masters including David Hockney, Paul Cezanne, J. M. W. Turner and Pablo Picasso.
Also presenting in the show are contemporary stars Hurvin Anderson, Peter Doig, Henry Taylor, Eric Fischl, and Lynette Yiadom-Boakye, showcasing an artistic prowess that reflects the breadth and diversity of the Bathers theme.
Pieces by Jean-Baptiste Oudry, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Damien Hirst, and Auguste Rodin will also be on display.
Speaking on the exhibition, Martin Gayford says: “Bathers in painting are both varied and fundamental to the human condition. The combination of unclothed bodies and water can evoke guilt-free primordial innocence: a sin-free Eden. On the other hand, the same visual ingredients can suggest the consequences of Eve and Adam’s Fall: guilt, lust, death.
He continues “in either case, the subject combines in one neat package two of the major preoccupations of artists for many centuries – landscape and the nude. It is no surprise that bathers have preoccupied painters for so long, and it is likely that the combination of water and human bodies will continue to intrigue them far into the future.”
Six of Saatchi Yates gallery artists including Danny Fox, Benjamin Spiers and Ethiopian artist Tesfaye Urgessa, will pay homage to this tradition, each one exploring the Bather in their own unique artistic methods and styles.
Bathers follows Saatchi Yates’ well-regarded Tesfaye Urgessa solo show in Miami in November 2022. The show also follows on from Macabre – the selling exhibition co-organised with Christie’s London in October 2022, featuring works by Otto Dix, Lucas Cranach, Andy Warhol, and Francis Bacon.
The exhibition will be available for viewing from June 1 until August 10. Admission is free. Additionally, there will be weekly curator-led tours every Saturday throughout June.
In collaboration with stylist Phoebe Arnold for streetwear brand Aries, David Ledoux has released Gnarly, a compelling documentation of youth culture, captured in the Basque country in the southwest of France. The cloth-bound hardback will feature 118 black and white lithographic-printed photographs, capturing sun-kissed portraits of free-spirited young surfers and skaters in the south of France. Ledoux’s imagery pays homage to what it’s like to live, surf and skate on the coast near Biarritz.
Image courtesy of David Ledoux
Aries’ vibrant essence blends seamlessly with Ledoux’s photographs of the carefree surf community in France’s Basque country, reflecting the brand’s deep connection to London subculture and founder Sofia Prantera’s adolescence in the 90s.
Ledoux’s successful photography career spans both reportage and fashion, authentically capturing communities in a state of invisibility, filled with raw energy. reflects his keen sense of discernment and sensitivityThrough the years, his work has captured the eyes of iconoclastic publications like Vice, GQ and Dazed and Confused.
Image courtesy of David Ledoux
Phoebe Arnold first discovered Ledoux’s work on Instagram in 2020, falling in love with his effortlessly bona fide approach to photographing the community around him. She proposed a collaboration, when Ledoux called the stylist with the news he was moving to Portugal. “It felt like fate,” recalls Arnold. “We met on a surf beach and road tripped together from Aljezur to Biarritz in his caddy van.”
Image courtesy of David Ledoux
Aries’s Soho flagship store is currently housing an exhibition which showcases selected images from Gnarly alongside a never-before-seen film documenting the book’s creation process.
Aries has also partnered with White Claw to create a capsule collection of tees, sweats and shorts featuring Ledoux’s images.
The brainchild of Cyril Foiret, Maison Meta is behind some of the world’s first AI-generated fashion campaigns and collections. Across global brands like Moncler Genius, REVOLVE, and Pangaia, the creative studio is pioneering a new phase of fashion tech and the way brands interact with an increasingly digital clientele. In April, it launched AI Fashion Week at New York’s Spring Studios, showcasing selected submissions from 133 digital artists and designers worldwide.
Maison Meta invited the public to take part by voting for the collections they liked the best on its website.
Image courtesy of Alena Stepanova
For some participating designers, the competition was an opportunity to explore sci-fi couture. Futuristic silhouettes and techy fabrics were paired with dystopian makeup looks, set within a desert or a runway underwater. Alena Stepanova and other designers instead presented intricate ready-to-wear garments, focusing on stacked layers, detailed knitwear and embroidery.
Image courtesy of Rachel Koukal
Rachel Koukal highlighted diversity in her collection ‘Soft Apocalypse’. In a series of images, she featured a culturally-diverse group of mostly curvy models, walking amidst a backdrop of sand dune, clad in otherworldly shapes and materials. In an interview with Vogue Business, Koukal explained that she wanted to create a size and body-type inclusive collection, one that she felt was lacking in the fashion industry. With MidJourney, an AI software allowing designers to prompt their creations through text, Koukal was able to feed her own images and re-prompt them to give her any imagined body she wanted, as well as new designs.
Image courtesy of Anya Klyueva
This week, Maison Meta unveiled the top 10 AIFW finalists, including Anya Klyueva and Ope, who will be judged by a panel of industry experts that includes Dame Pat McGrath, Vogue Japan’s head of editorial content, Tiffany Godoy, Céline casting director, Natalie Hazzout, and Erika Wykes-Sneyd of the Adidas Studio Web3, among others. The chosen three winners will then have their AI-generated designs produced and sold by REVOLVE for the real world.
While still nascent, it seems that the future of fashion will be increasingly intertwined with generative AI, paving the way for new creative endeavours and global collaboration. Physical runway shows in future seasons are currently in the works for Maison Meta’s creative team, with products designed from previous collections said to be going into production. Maison Meta is also working on an incubator programme with REVOLVE to help designers launch their brands.
This April, Aries opened its first ever store in Soho, London. Designed in-house and in collaboration with Brinkworth and Wilson Brothers, the Aries Soho store will showcase Aries in-line collections in full for the first time in bricks and mortar and will function as a curated concept store and art space.
Photo courtesy of Aries
The store will feature exclusive brand collaborations, brought to life with installation pop-ups, as well as a rotating concept trading with collaborators, friends and like-minded international partners, from clothing and music to books and art, allowing visitors to immerse themselves into the Aries world.
With its own entrance on Bridle Lane, Parisian-born coffee shop Paperboy will also open its first official outpost in London, exclusively serving the brand’s own signature sandwiches and coffees, in collaboration with Aries and Dark Arts Coffee.
It’s also announced that the store will be housing exhibitions, alongside seasonal collections and store exclusives. Its rails will be rotating between pop-ups by South London’s leading vintage re-sell brand, JerksTM and London-based luxury unisex jewellery brand, Bunney.
Photo courtesy of Aries
Founded by Italian-born Sofia Prantera of Silas and Holmes fame, Aries was born out of an ongoing love of trash culture, outsider art, graphics and illustration. Since graduating from Central Saint Martins in the early ‘90s, Sofia has been an integral part of the skate and streetwear community for over 25 years with three successful brands under her belt.
Photo courtesy of Aries
The Aries Soho store officially opened its doors Monday 17th April 2023.
Dior has announced Mumbai’s Gateway of India as the location of the fashion house’s Pre-Fall 2023 presentation on March 30. This will be the first time a European luxury maison stages an official calendar show in India. As part of Creative Director Maria Grazia Chiuri’s commitment to support and collaborate with Mumbai-based talent, the collection will feature pieces embellished with intricate embroidery by Chanakya, an atelier and craftsmanship school for women in Mumbai.
The show plays tribute to the visionary spirit of Christian Dior and his successors who had a profound admiration for India. As the first-ever female creative director of Dior, Chiuri’s partnership with Chanakya evolves the brand’s feminine identity and values. The non-profit organisation was founded by Monica Shah and Karishma Swali and seeks to empower female artisans from low-income backgrounds with skills that enable them to earn a livelihood within the fashion industry -an ethos which resonates strongly with the feminist message that Chiuri has actively pushed forth through collaborations with female craftspeople, image-makers and artists within the fashion industry.
Chiuri wrote in an Instagram post: “It was through this relationship with Chanakya that I was able to learn so much about the artisanal embroidery techniques, which are still found in each and every Indian region, and the unique ability of the Chanakya Atelier to put them in dialogue with the fashion industry.”
Under Chiuri’s wing, the presentation will showcase India’s rich technical knowledge within the field of craft and fashion. And with the luxury sector in India expected to explode over the next decade, the country is quickly becoming a destination for global brands looking to expand their footprint.
The collection will be available in stores from late April, featuring an array of evening coats, silk dresses and sari-inspired skirts.
The CHANEL Fall-Winter 2023/24 Ready-To-Wear Collection pays tribute to the brand’s iconic white camellia motif. Imagined by Virginia Viard, this season is described to be afloat with asymmetrical silhouettes traversed by the camellia motifs, an eternal code of the brand.
The show took place in Paris’s Grand Palais Éphémère. At its centre, a larger-than-life white camellia and cinematic images of Japanese actress and House Ambassador Nana Komatsu, a spectacle directed by Inez and Vinnodh.
Komatsu evolves within a set inspired by William Klein’s Who Are You, Polly Maggoo?, “It’s the idea of a Japanese woman in Paris, with a spirit of light-heartedness and freedom,” tells Inez and Vinnodh. “In the way she moves in the video there is a sense of wonder, a sense of displacement and belonging.”
As precise as it is profound, the makeup palette mirrored the collection. Featuring black, white and pink tones with washes of silver on the eyelids and layers of mascara on bottom and top lashes for a fluttery effect. On the lips, nude touches of rouge to complement a sheer complexion with a matte finish.
Image courtesy of CHANEL
Virginie Viard had intended for the collection to be delicate and in motion. “The energy of the merry-go-round of wooden horses that provides the setting for Inez & Vinoodh’s film, with actress Nana Komatsu as the heroine, gave me the idea for the Bermuda short suits and the asymmetries,” she reveals.
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