PHOEBE ENGLISH PRESENTS A CYCLE OF TEXTURAL EXPLORATIONS FOR AW16 via hungertv.com
Words Georgia Illingworth
To mark her tenth season, Phoebe English presented a capsule collection of ten looks that portray the unique aspects of her design process. The ICA presentation space was transformed by set designer Philip Cooper into a clinical, grey scale waiting room in which the models were engaged in a “self-perpetuating, cyclical performance where [they] are forever waiting their turn.” Within the context of the waiting room, each model’s identity becomes a blank, they are represented by a number instead of a name and their faces are painted with squiggles of indecipherable text as though their faces have become lost in an infinite stream of data.
What they said: “Flat, hand torn monochrome silk plays against deep impasto peacock stitching to create a contrast in textures. Liquid plum latex interrupts tightly repeated weaves in simple cotton string. Forms of shredded sequins tightly enclose areas of the body whilst waves of flat cotton fall away from it.”
Our verdict:
Phoebe English continues and sharpens her focus on textiles this season. The collection was a conglomeration of varying textures; dishevelled surfaces inspired by television static, shredded sequin clusters, knotted and knitted pieces in string and silk and of course her signature matte latex all played a part in making this collection a visual feast, in spite of the minimal silhouettes and muted colour palette. The layering and draping techniques were also commendable. Layered separates folded over one another like petals, “simultaneously peeling away and clinging to the body.” The plum latex asymmetric separates deserve special mention here.
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