Charlie le Mindu caused a stir last year with his full-frontal nude models (my coverage of his S/S 11 show is still my highest-viewed post ever, and I didn’t even post any of the nudies). It was also my favourite show from September, purely for the incredibly diverse crowd, the quintessentially 'Alternative London' atmosphere, and the fab styling. See here. Unsurprisingly, after all those boobs, the media circus was ridiculous around the A/W show at the On:Off venue and was utterly oversubscribed (another blue dot, yellow dot affair).
A self-proclaimed 'haute coiffure', le Mindu didn't actually show that many wigs, and under the fake blood and phallic graffiti, it was actually quite a beautifully-made collection. Unashamedly inspired by a Belgian brothel in WWII, the lace-and-pearl captain's hats and plastic capes cut a rather pret-a-porter edge, despite this enfant terrible's extremist tendencies. There were still 'shockers', namely in the gas mask vomiting an ice-blonde ponytail and in the impressive mohican harbouring an abstract swastika design. Who knows where Mindu's direction will take him, as the novelty of exposed bikini wax jobs is sure to wear off after a few seasons.
Will he succumb to the wearable?
I am going to be doing some very erratic posting henceforth, as I'm completely behind on LFW coverage yet I want to share what I have recently been up to in Paris, so I'll be mixing them in together. Enjoy!
4 comments:
this is massive roy
I think this A/W collection sums up everything I love about le Mindu: it's not about fashion being translatable to everyday wear, or even relatable, but it's fashion escapism at its finest. Everything is taken to the extreme, even the juxtaposition of masculine-feminine, from hard military wear and delicate lace and pearls to graffitied plastic and fur. Sometimes, it's refreshing to take a break from the nice, wearable reality and see something that shocks you!
I can't wait to see what else you've been up to in Paris and at LFW. I feel like I'm living vicariously through others since I can't go myself!
i love shows like this simply because it causes debate. i mean one could argue should this really be paraded in during the RTW fashion weeks when its clearly not that ready.
i saw a full frontal shot of the nude lady with the 'violence' headband and thought wow! dripping in blood and a distinct lack of any violence (models walking pretty calmly down a runway isnt particularly too agressive) it just felt a little too outlandish without much to say. i really hope in future le mindu does stray making wearable clothes, maybe thats the biggest shock he can give us.
oh...but those pearl navy caps blow my mind...he can keep making those!
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