Kidulthood

The often socially turbulent Scotland of Christopher Kane’s childhood was a source of inspiration for the designer this season. Memories of encounters with the police prompted those memorable target-practice prints (blown up, if you’ll excuse the pun, onto bomber jackets, trousers or an extra long t-shirt) and the boldface “Law & Order” prints which adorned tote bags and t shirt.

Check Mate

Aside from these motifs and emblems of authority – appropriated, most likely, for reasons of anti-establishment protest – the collection was distinctly vintage in flavour, recalling some late 70s subcultural disco clobber. There were riots of tartan: one outfit comprised of wide bottomed, short tartan trousers paired with white socks and, up top, a plaid sweater vest and checked shirt – hair, of course, was bluish dyed-it-at-home-and-then-cut-it-with-kitchen-scissors blonde.

This Charming Mam

A papery rust coloured bomber felt much more modern, especially with the loudly branded, long t-shirt beneath it. Nonetheless, this being a collection rooted in Scotland, rainwear was a definite strong point: a tartan mac seemed almost metallic in some lights but otherwise cut an unabashedly classic figure. All in all this small season of clothing had something of the Morrissey about it. Not because the clothes looked like his, but because his kind of distincitly British spirit was somehow present. They were clothes for the urban wanderer and the sensitive loner: designs for the awkwardly beautiful.