The end of Studio 54 in 1979, the cultural transition into the early 1980s, the last days of disco – this was the inspiration behind Tata Naka’s latest collection, and what a beautiful interpretation of the theme it was.
In a series of power-suits and sparkling, decadent dresses which pulled no punches, hand-painted images of disco queens such as Donna Summers, Diana Ross and Grace Jones appeared on a base of old Wall Street Journals. There was something almost Gauguin-esque in these stylised depictions, especially when combined with a vibrant colour palette of warm greens, yellows and pinks.
Elsewhere, these same images appeared on a stunning set of beaded dresses and separates, alongside UFO spaceship motifs that evoked the era’s fascination with sci-fi and space exploration – a cultural hangover from the 1960s.
Meanwhile, clean-cut monochrome dresses and 80s-inspired power suits with sharp shoulders and asymmetric detailing provide a different view of the era, with knitted and jacquard pieces in a muted autumnal palette providing a neat contrast with the more decadent looks.
A particular highlight of this collection was, surprisingly, the footwear – featuring sharp cut-outs and dramatically high heels, the offering covered everything from classic black court shoes to shimmering leather options. Complimented by the sparkling eyeshadow and red lipstick of the models, all of whom could comfortably have starred on the cover of a vintage Roxy Music album, this collection perfectly evoked the era by which it was inspired.
Hoarding has long been a subject of fascination for storytellers and audiences alike, spawning countless pseudo-docs offering an exploitative peek into the lives of sufferers. Emerging playwright Chloe Lawrence-Taylor is clearly fascinated with the subject, too, but presents a more sympathetic, nuanced view in Personal Values. Stuck (almost literally) in her overstuffed...
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