Irynvigre autumn/winter 2017 collection catwalk show for LFW

Inspired by the futuristic concept of artificial intelligence beings walking among us, Irynvigre’s autumn/winter 2017 collection was a combination of both womenswear and menswear: other-worldly models exposed by way of raw, unfinished hems and dotted, visible seamlines.

A monochromatic palette, with occasional splashes of bold orange and red, enhanced the gender-neutral tone of the collection.

Prints were generally absent, save for the occasional pinstripe. The focus here was on the deconstruction of the pieces. The raw hems and diagonal and triangular cuttings connoted a certain bareness, as though designs were unfinished, creating the notion of both process and progress.

Oversized jackets and coats cloaked and concealed the models, hiding their true identity from inquisitive outsiders. On the other hand, a long, sheer black dress and jumpsuit exposed flesh, creating an uncovered, sensual allure to these different beings.

There was at times an almost prehistoric nature about the appearance of some looks. Designs were stripped back to their most basic, even primitive, suggesting that it is only a matter of time before artificial beings are able to mimic our human flaws. In a different mamnner, one womenswear ensemble with flickers of steely silver gave a mechanical, industrial appearance, resembling more what we know as machines.

There were knitted textures throughout the collection; a large, chunky, holey knit in cream was formed to compose a long-line shift dress, further enhancing the pure, unaltered and sometimes even wild nature of Irynvigre’s conceptual designs.

A glimpse into the idea of humanoid machines by way of visually recreating basic human nature, it’ll be interesting to see what Irynvigre’s next collection has in store.

Isobel Bridgwood
Photos: Erol Birsen