Teenage kicks
As we shoved our way onto Brewer Street carpark’s over subscribed benches, and flashbulbs pinged in Alexa’s direction, we took in Ashley Williams’ SS17 set. Giant teddy bears with bunches of balloons tied around their wrists were joined by TV sets, cushions, rugs– all the paraphernalia of teenage-hood. We’d somehow happened upon a John Hughes heroine’s bedroom.
Of course Ashley’s girls aren’t your traditional prom queens and we followed her motley crew of girls, and one boy, (this years models were mostly street cast, but Adwoa and Fernanda made key appearances) from her bedroom to prom, all in one outing. PJ’s in Ashley’s current colour of choice (a punchy pastel purple) came in the show’s motif print, a little pixelated cherubim, and were edged in a tangy acid-green. Then came t-shirts with late ’80s heartthrob River Phoenix imprinted on the front, then Saved By The Bell knitwear and the Malibu Barbie pink slogan-skater hoodies under denim dungarees sloped down the catwalk. Red varsity jackets also carrying the cherub logo read “First Born” and were hung over matchy-matchy bright-white cherub print two pieces, with new romantic ruffles cooing from underneath the jock-appropriate wear. Then came the odd-ball puff-ball dresses and shirts. The era’s much ridiculed puff came extra-large on black and grey taffeta dresses and on chalky grey shirts tucked into jeans– and miraculously, looked cool. Long sleeve t-shirts poked out from impossibly pretty prom dresses and gave the impression of a reluctant prom attendee who might well whip off her frock in the loos once her chaperone was out of sight. All American rejects rejoice.
