Isa Arfen autumn/winter 2017 collection presentation for LFW

 

Isa Arfen pondered the idea of identity for autumn/winter 2017, with a collection focusing on exaggerated femininity and childlike accents.

Inspiration was taken from a range of sources, including Inge Morath’s portraits of Saul Steinberg and psychoanalyst Joan Riviere’s essay Womanliness as a Masquerade. Contrast played a key part in the collection as girlish cuts were subtly distorted and proportions were intentionally “off”: wool twinsets appeared shrunken; tailored jackets had been chopped short; ruffled hemlines fell asymmetrically. 

Vivid prints, created by artists Helen Bullock and Marcela Gutierrez, enlivened the muted palette of toffee, pink and grey with acid green, orange and purple, while adding to the carnival-esque mood.

A sense of playfulness was portrayed through washed cotton smocks, flocked tulle dresses and colossal amounts of vintage fur that often drowned its wearer. Unexpected detailing was noted in the form of ruching down the front of a cotton poplin shirt, and diamond-shaped ceramic brooches – created by Sonia Boyajian – on a winter coat. Looks were completed with oversized glasses and eccentric mules by Charlotte Olympia. 

Rebekah Absalom
Photos: Kimberley Archer