Alex Mullins took us all on a trippy journey for SS18. The designer got his inspiration from perfume ads of the 1990s and delivered a tightly edited collection that looked at clever ways to reimagine everyday garments.
The whole attitude of the clothes was sloppy and relaxed, which is exactly what you want come summertime. Shirts had their button placement done asymmetrically with one shoulder arm dropped to elbow level. When covered in a fresh daisy print, the piece had all the nonchalance of a lazy afternoon in the garden. Jumpers were cut with one extra long sleeve reaching for the floor, while denim jeans were given a curved hem to achieve a bulbous discombobulated look.
Every look seemed to be morphing into something else, before our very eyes. Slowly the fabric started to take over. First, the models’ faces were covered by silk head scarves printed with trompe l'oeil artwork. Eventually, they became full-length tunics taking over the entire body. The show brought to mind Dali’s melting watches from The Persistence of Memory. Objects caught in a state of change, halfway between dream and reality. Mullins was shining a new light on garments a simple as a shirt or a pair of jeans, making us take a second look at such familiar items. When we woke up from this dream, they felt new again.
Words by Martin Noives