Claire Barrow re-writes history for an AW16 ‘Retro-Spective’
Georgia Illingworth of hungertv.com
Claire Barrow looked to the past, mining history for her AW16 collection. Don’t let this fool you though, as this collection was worlds away from an exercise in nostalgia. Rather than simply re-appropriating the sartorial codes of a bygone era, like so many designers are known to do, Barrow subverts these sentimental trends. Gazing into our cultural consciousness through a fractured lens, Barrow pilfers various and disparate references, weaving them through the collection. To re-enforce the conception of the presentation, the collection is housed in an imagined museum space, a satirical display of blatant narcissism wherein Barrow’s work becomes historic for the duration of the presentation.
What they said:
“For this season, the garments each take direct inspiration from various decades, creating a racket of contrasting ideas, shapes and identities of the people she wants to dress” – Claire Barrow AW16 press release.
Our verdict:
Barrow’s collections have always celebrated tribes and appropriated the iconography of subculture in a way that still feels uniquely Barrow-esque. This collection was an intricate web of references that proved challenging to unpick – there were the usual punk elements, hints of Victoriana, maybe even Quaker references. The designer’s instantly recognisable quasi-primitive illustrations were found printed on tights, silks, cottons and hand painted canvas garments. The primitive feel of Barrow’s drawings was translated into a mood of paganism that spanned the collection, realised in strange bonnet-like headdresses and a clay bustier with protruding nipples that overspilled with wheat sheaths. This was certainly a bizarre but brilliant collection. Just the sort of thing we need more of. This is the reason why Barrow is one of the most interesting and exciting designers in the game.
Jonathan Anderson - Designer, Creative Director of JW Anderson & Christian Dior (12 Viewers)
