With logos that read “Princess Slayer” and “Super Dooper Storm Trooper”, it’s time to fasten your seatbelt because Bobby Abley is taking you to outer space.

Hyperspace

Neoprenes, seat-belting, and rose-gold glitter encrusted fabrics made up the central garments at Bobby Abley’s ‘reimagined future’ show this afternoon. Streetwear inspired silhouettes came in a huge spectrum of popping colours – blue, white, red, canary – all imbued with space-age elements. Hoodies resembled the neck and the body of astronaut suits, while form-fitting neoprene vests were tightly crocodile clipped at the side, leaving excess strapping hanging – as if the spaceman had exposed his undergarms. Tracksuits in thick all-glitter shone like twinkling stars rarely spotted through the smog, while printed fabrics in multicoloured lines created the effect of light passing as you speed through a rainbow of stars.

Bobby Strikes Back

Often contemporary collections focused on the future seem to reference past imaginations of space, but Abley’s offering actually felt like somebody in 2015 thinking about our unforeseeable next steps. This was juxtaposed comedically with kitsch reworkings of nostalgia-inducing Star Wars imagery – which was the other unmissable focus. Whole white outfits were embroidered with Storm Trooper faces, a huge brown and black furry sweater read ‘Chewy’ across the chest, and metal mouth-guards in the shape of Darth Vader’s breathing apparatus added a badass edge. Bright yellow rings on every finger read Star Wars, and slogan tees were scrawled with ‘Super Duper Storm Trooper’ or (a personal must-have) ‘Princess Slayer’. Abley always captures such a feeling of uncompromising fun in his collections – offering a real dose of perspective at the close of LC:M.

Bright Futures

His first show out from under the protective wing of Fashion East’s MAN scheme, Abley set out prove his value as a designer who is incredibly important for London’s offering – and very much achieved it. Humorous, characterful, and intelligent – all the while producing cutting edge, über stylish street-wear – it seems as though this is Abley’s destiny. May the fashion force be with you.

Words: Tom Rasmussen

Photography: Thurstan Redding