Christopher Kane F/W 2016.17 London

[Pricciao]

22 February 2016
by Emily Sheffield 　via vogue.co.uk

"There is an idea of beauty expired this season," said Christopher Kane today. "But how that dead and thrown-away beauty often looks better than when it was supposedly alive... I have always been obsessed by recluses," he added.

The ghost of Edith Bouvier Beale, the eccentric heiress and American cousin of Jackie Onassis, who ended up living in a derelict mansion, the Grey Gardens, in the Hamptons, with her signature head scarf, wrapped in faded, moulting furs, seemed to be haunting the Turbine Hall at Tate Modern this afternoon, where Kane showed his autumn/winter 2016 show.

The Hall's current installation, around which the models circled, in their wilting rose prints and plastic bonnets, is by artist Abraham Cruzvillegas. And it chimed neatly with Kane's theme of decay. The vast sculpture of geometric scaffolding is slowly overgrowing with weeds as intended, to provoke questions about the nature of change. In an industry that revolves ever faster, Kane seemed to be also questioning (rather than judging) the speed of change, this ceaseless quest for all that is new and shiny by focusing our minds on the beauty that reveals itself over time. And by drawing away from the crowd.

His opening look was corrugated cardboard packaging, brought back to life, stapled together and reimagined as a cavernous coat in camel coloured leather (the enlarged staple motif also decorated shoes and neat boxy bags). This was followed by a series of silk dresses and draped tops in a deliberately sheeny floral print that followed the life cycle of roses, their slow beautiful wilting, shot in their studio over a week in real time. Later the image would be further muddied and erased in bonded felt on Chantilly lace used in neat pencil trousers, tunic tops and long evening dresses, that clung provocatively to the body.

Giant nubbly grey knits clashed with streamlined ribbed neon-striped turtlenecks and long skirts. While a loose wool crepe black skirt suit provided a dramatic break in all the texture and colour. Although Kane is known most for his neon palette, it is when he does black, combined with the beautiful tailoring he can now invest in, that he is at his best.

Collected ephemera - semi-precious trinkets, jewel brooches, badges and talismans - were pinned to lapels of sweeping Bordeaux coats, while crochet flowers adorned string shopping bags, necklines and cuffs. And ostrich feathers in sage green, plum, electric blue and baby pink gently fluttered and sprouted from the seams of tailored jackets, black silk evening separates and from inside patent ankle boots and techno backless trainers. Or wound up a bright orange sheath dress, like a flowering weed.

He finished the collection with a series of pieces made from shredded monochrome ribbons that trailed and spooled around flat leather boots and were fixed with embroidered and appliqued flowers, resembling a garden trellis, broken by the weight of heady foliage.

Of course what Kane fully knows is that from decay comes growth.

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[Fiercification]

In the words of a certain James Todd Smith: "Don't call it a comeback, I've been here for years".

Well this is certainly his best collection in ages (maybe two years or so), love the eclecticism of the looks and the distinct, starkly off sex appeal of the pieces as a whole.

The grey knit pieces, lace dresses (fantastic first black leather-y one!) and the slightly Elbaz-y trimmed coats; here for them! Also really into the contemporary take on Medieval motifs.

First collection I'm into this season...let's hope it's not the last .

 

[perhydrol]

It's not his best, but definitely not his worst. It was very hard-handed and it needed some fresh air in a way, some pieces should have been taken out, too, but I like this collection. It's very calm yet you can find his sense of experimentation here. I just miss his more wearable collections, because this would be quite hard to wear imho. There's something weird in these clothes, they're really sexy not in an obvious way. And I want that sweater with big 'K' on it. It's just cool.

 

[Creative]

So corduroy is definitely coming back.

This was so lame.

 

[Lola701]

Not his best but it is still more original than Katranzou and more believable than J.W. Anderson.
So, it's possible to do something creative, wild and different without copying MiuMiu or Alessandro Michele...

 

[mistress_f]

this is such a mess. what happened to him?
to be fair there's a few good looks in the first half, some pieces of outwear and some of the dresses are very interesting, but then it takes a nosedive into a tacky, ugly mess. the more it progresses the uglier it gets, why?

 

[Pricciao]

^Because it's about the death sentence of beauty.

 

[HeatherAnne]

In the words of a certain James Todd Smith: "Don't call it a comeback, I've been here for years".

Well this is certainly his best collection in ages (maybe two years or so), love the eclecticism of the looks and the distinct, starkly off sex appeal of the pieces as a whole.

The grey knit pieces, lace dresses (fantastic first black leather-y one!) and the slightly Elbaz-y trimmed coats; here for them! Also really into the contemporary take on Medieval motifs.

First collection I'm into this season...let's hope it's not the last .

Okay, right?! I'm so glad I'm not the only one who loved this. This knocked me off my *** it was so gorgeous. And the man always knows how to playfully style in a way that puts on a show without it being clownish.

 

[gazebo]

J.W. should be so embarrassed! He gets all the press
while Kane is really the best! For as to before J.W. has even come to the scene.

CK Forever!!! (And I don't mean Calvin Klein!)

 

[RedSmokeRise]

Always a highlight of London. The little finishing touches with the jewelry made it so beautiful.

Really glad Kering's invested in him.

 

[Cosmic Voices]

The last four looks are atrocious, but overall I like the collection (finally there's something I like in London). Loathe the styling however.

 

[softgrey]

i feel like i'm looking at a marc jacobs collection...

 

[Miss Dalloway]

Whoa, this was fantastic, what a way to remind eveyone of just how talented he truly is. Modern day Miss Havisham, so many interesting points here.

 

[Marc10]

This styling could be a little more polished, but it's still another great collections from Kane. I love the bag lady-ish vibe, he's just so great at adding amazing textures and fabrics to simple garments, making them super exciting and desirable.

 

[|PerfectTonight|]

Probably the best collection in London so far! The styling and creativity behind it is fantastic!

 

[gossiping]

i don't get how he got rave reviews for his last 2 collections they've both been hideous! they look like grad student collections..not someone who has their own standalone store on mount street in london....

 

[mariemaud]

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I'm not into how they styled this, but I like a few dresses
Yet totally not his best collection to me