Two nearly-naked males locked in a pas de deux, theatrical performances, and an East London venue crammed with smoke and scavenged automotive components: Nearly precisely one 12 months after presenting his Central Saint Martins MA assortment, Maximilian Raynor is again — and nonetheless all concerning the drama.
Designing for an ultra-dystopian future, Raynor’s knit eventwear had a grungier, extra deconstructed really feel than his earlier assortment. Skirts, tops and clothes had been woven from fats yarns and strips of tweed and herringbone material, sprouting with thickets of menacing black tubes and had been pierced with sinister silver {hardware}.
“It’s a response to my feeling that we’re descending into absolute pandemonium globally — but it surely’s additionally my response to the murmurs popping out that London Style Week shouldn’t be the place it was once,” he defined post-show. “We actually hope that this present is a pledge to carry the vitality again to London and show that we’re a hotbed for theater, expertise, and drama, but in addition that we could be thought of as actually severe contenders for European homes and taking over large manufacturers like LVMH.”
Somewhat than give in to all of the pessimistic moaning and groaning, Raynor discovered a silver lining, which streaked by means of the gathering. That included teaming up along with his rising designer friends, together with fellow Central Saint Martins graduate and 2023 L’Oréal Professionnel Younger Expertise Award winner Eden Tan. Utilizing a load of leather-based donated from Tan, Raynor created heavy responsibility clothes held along with robust studs.
“I really like this concept of us coming collectively, the London designers, slightly than feeling in competitors with each other — truly collaborating on these sorts of issues,” Raynor defined.
Whereas the gathering may need had a post-apocalyptic “Mad Max” look, at its core the present symbolized what makes London Style Week stand out: chock-full of vitality, concepts, and perseverance.
