Proving that manliness can come wrapped in a
skirt, design duo Sibling on Saturday stamped their style on London Fashion
Week with a bold collection inspired by boxing and 1980s pop culture.
Queen’s “Another One Bites the Dust” opened the show, held in the
basement
of the neo-Gothic Victoria House in the heart of the British capital, a
fitting soundtrack to the British pair’s punchy but light-hearted designs.
The catwalk became a ringwalk as male models paraded in thick woollen
hoodies decorated with medals, inspired by boxers’ robes.
Punchbags were fashioned into fabric travel bags while the hand-strapping
worn by fighters and martial artists provided the inspiration for a set of
mittens.
But pop stars as-well as pugilists were a driving force behind the
collection, with the dominant royal blue palette a tribute to an album cover
by 1980s pop diva Grace Jones, Sibling designer Cozette McCreery told AFP.
“The other person that was a huge influence was (Jean-Michel) Basquiat,”
one of contemporary art’s leading stars and graffiti pioneer who died in
1988,
she added.
The designers encouraged men to shun fashion conventions, showcasing a
range of skirts also embellished with medals.
“We like legs,” said McCreery. “As a girl, I’d be very happy if lots of
guys showed more leg”.
Earlier in the day, Astrid Andersen presented a comfortable and modern
wardrobe inspired by urban street-wear, using a variety of materials
including
quilted nylon, denim and tweed in a collection she said was “focussed on
fabric”.
The palette ranged from grey to turquoise through to orange, and the
young
designer offered her own take on the male mitten, stretching all the way to
the elbow.
Shows for the autumn-winter 2016 season began on Friday and will continue
until Monday.
Men’s Fashion Week will then up sticks and head for Milan and Paris
before
ending in New York. (AFP)
Photo: AFP and Sibling Facebook