Omer Asim autumn/winter 2016 collection presentation for LFW

Having trained at The Bartlett School of Architecture, Sudanese designer Omer Asim has the ability to deconstruct, explore and reconstruct the typical shapes and silhouettes of contemporary fashion.

His autumn/winter 2016 collection is focused around contrasts – black and white, masculine and feminine, hard and soft. Clean lines and a contemporary minimalist aesthetic really allow Asim’s focus on craft and texture to take centre stage.

Every single piece, from the neat separates to the tall, elegant dresses, is refined to perfectly-tailored perfection.  Boxy tops with asymmetric hemlines are paired with mid-length skirts, whilst bodices that were more just squares of fringing made for an unexpectedly structured silhouette.

As well as his architectural training, Asim also studied psychoanalysis, something that opened his mind up to the relationship between clothes and the mind. As such, his designs often work around how the clothes feel to wear, and his approach this season is no different as he incorporates unusual materials – such as sticks of wood – and makes the most of the textural contrasts between such fabrics as leather, wool and silk. This sensory, organic philosophy keeps the designer’s contemporary, minimalist style from feeling too cold or clinical, with natural materials softening the stark monochrome palette.

Grace Cain
Photos: Filippo L’Astorina