But at least it’ s large. There’ s room to manoeuvre despite a full slate of design talent showing off their wares, and what feels like a reasonable attendance of buyers and journalists wandering knowingly and looking overbearingly effortless. Christopher Brogden of CSB London is in attendance, his usual affable self in front of his bold, confident collection. He particularly recommends Agi & Sam as designers to watch out for in this season’ s show, but is equally complimentary about many of the new lines on display. Walking around the designer showroom there’ s certainly no obvious weak puppies. Let right and centre one is faced with designs that know exactly what they’ re doing and why they’ re doing it. Strong silhouettes and sharp deliberate colour choices. The collections fill the venue with the warmth it lacks on its own.
And the view from the rear of the building is actually quite edifying. Leafy green branches frame a sun-bleached bank of the river, and the sky stretches blue and unburdened up from the gorgeous South Bank beyond. This area given over to NewGen talent and, incidentally, the bar, is a stark contrast to the bleak unfinished showrooms which dominate the rest of the event. It is strangely enough this area, with its huge leather sofas, and its potted plants, which feels other-worldly and distinct, not the countercultural edginess the rest of the venue seems to be going for. The bare concrete and chilly gloom is oddly more comfortable, more at home, less disturbing.
You can’ t hide an imperfection in a cut finish like you can in a stitched seam. Precision is everything.
Perhaps it’ s the fact that lack of traditional finish is a strong trend in both ready-towear and accessory fashion this season. Raw edges are everywhere, from clean cuts replacing stitched seams to deliberately distressed and fraying cuffs, collars, lapels, and buttonholes. Designers of all kinds assure me that this is a positive and artisanal trend – that it takes a great deal of skill to make a live edge work. It reminds me of Dolly Parton’ s wonderful one-liner; it costs a lot of money to look this cheap. But there’ s a certain sense there – a certain honesty. You can’ t hide an imperfection in a cut finish like you can in a stitched seam. Precision is everything.