Nicopanda spring/summer 2019 collection catwalk show for LFW

The club kids of Nicola Formechetti’s Nicopanda were ready to party like it was 1999. A festival of disco sequins, glow-in-the-dark neons and ferocious animal prints came to a head for a raucous affair of flamboyance, fun and gender fluidity.

Painting a vivid scene of the fog-filled after-hours nightclubs of the early 90s, materials such as tulle, mesh and lycra were borrowed from the dressing-up box and reappropriated into streetwear, but not as we know it. Think outrageously, brilliantly camp. Checkerboard patterns, glitter and skin-tight velour added to the anything-goes, more-is-more mentality. You could call Formechetti’s collection garish, but rather than that being an insult, it would be a compliment. Each look screamed boundless optimism and fearless expression.

Chunky platform stompers, metallic cowboy hats and holographic tinsel continued to take us back to the heyday of endless partying. Forget behaving, get raving. Meanwhile, neon hoodies, cycling shorts and windbreakers added a sporty element to the collection.

The collection obviously referenced underground dance culture, but in particular the legendary drag queen Divine. A portion of the range featured never before seen archival images and prints from the estate of Divine. Nicopanda also collaborated with Merch by Amazon for a range of colourful t-shirts featuring artwork by artist Hilton Dresden, just one instalment of Nicopanda’s plan to use the online retailer as a space to promote up and coming young creatives.

Isobel Bridgwood
Photos: Erol Birsen