Wonderland.

Eyes On: Fashion Together

Some of the industry’s most intriguing pairs go under the microscope.

Silver and Porcupine Quill Ear Cuffs, Shaun Leane for Alexander McQueen, Irere, Spring/Summer 2003. Courtesy of the Shaun Leane archive

Silver and Porcupine Quill Ear Cuffs, Shaun Leane for Alexander McQueen, Irere, Spring/Summer 2003. Courtesy of the Shaun Leane archive

While some of us are still struggling to name a more iconic duo than Britney and Justin in that 2001 denim moment, Fashion Together reminds us of seven more. The group exhibition, curated by journalist Lou Stoppard for London’s Fashion Space Gallery, champions the unions of some of the industry’s greatest talents and explores how they’ve driven driven fashion forward.

From filmmakers to milliners, spotlighted alliances include Rick Owens and Michèle Lamy, Nick Knight and Daphne Guinness, Shaun Leane and Alexander McQueen, and Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh. The show, Stoppard’s third overall and second in the space, features never-before-seen ephemera such as sketches, handwritten notes and fashion editorials displayed alongside garments, films and photographic prints (an IRL keepsake drops on the 17th October in the form of Lou’s book of the same name).

Illuminating some of the most acclaimed collaborations, the exhibition also delves behind the scenes with audio recordings of the duos in conversation with Stoppard, for a rare and intimate insight into each pair’s working process. “These relationships are common across the industry,” she notes, “but their complexity has been under-analysed. How is credit shared? How is work divided? Is jealousy or ownership an issue? Is there a recipe for success?” All will be revealed when the exhibition opens on 8th September. We hope.

(LEFT) Backstage at the Alexander McQueen ‘Black’ show, June 2004. Aluminium Coiled Corset by Shaun Leane for Alexander McQueen, The Overlook, Autumn/Winter 1999. Courtesy of the Shaun Leane archive
(RIGHT) Viktor and Rolf, ‘NO’ Coat, Autumn/Winter 2008; photography Team Peter Stigter

Backstage at the Alexander McQueen ‘Black’ show, June 2004. Aluminium Coiled Corset by Shaun Leane for Alexander McQueen, The Overlook, Autumn/Winter 1999. Courtesy of the Shaun Leane archive
Viktor and Rolf, ‘NO’ Coat, Autumn/Winter 2008; photography Team Peter Stigter
Words
Mica Ramsey