Boredom

Alex Mullins’ AW16 presentation took inspiration from the ‘process of boredom’. Although this doesn’t sound promising, it was not boredom itself that was explored, but more what comes thereafter: thoughts of escapism to another place, the alteration of time, the creation of pictures and stories in false realities — all means used subconsciously by the mind to escape boredom. The collection was designed solely from the imagination — the combative force against boredom — with warped print faces and hemlines running throughout the show, as well huge acid green and white fabrics twisting around one another fluidly, and often inconveniently, hanging throughout the show space. All realism — whether in cut, texture or colour — was warped, and all the pieces looked as if their patterns had begun ‘normal’ and the boredom with this had extended lapels, added layers and pockets and rivets, and opened up totally twisted silhouettes. Mullins, yet again, is asking a lot of his customer — there is no normcore here, and thank God!

The Shape of Things

Shape is often Mullins’ chosen playground. Whether it was the over-egged denim two pieces in rich indigo, with exposed tobacco stitching, riveted and buttoned in sloping curves across and down the side of the body, causing the stiff, thick fabric to buckle and warp in slightly obscure places, or the floor length coat that was layered in multi-neon printed fabric, deep blue felting, and more print fabric, which sloped around the body following irregular lines, Mullins isn’t afraid to push his silhouette further than most. Patches were cut and studded onto the calf or the thigh, and pictures — taken by photographer Hazel Gaskin — of boys in last season’s collection were printed onto floor length tabards and cut following the edges of the image. Seeking inspiration from Brit Pop — and its apparent warped realism — Mullins’ silhouettes indeed formed warped versions of usually regular garments for sure.