Of course the clothes look great, but
you knew that. The knitwear in
particular – a merino so light it really
could be a Spring/Summer staple. But
it is not the excellent design and
quality of the collection which makes it
the star of the show. That simply allows
it to be a candidate. I hear Samuel
Smith also makes a fine stout beer. No,
it is the way the pieces sit together, and
sit in their environment, the way they
occupy intellectual space and create an
atmosphere and mythology all their
own within the confines of two racks in
a small corner of a tamely Brutalist
industrial block in London. The way
this collection combines with its
context to create something more than
the sum of its parts is what allows it to
rise above and delight. The other
collections were available for
conversation. Natural Selection stood
up and spoke.