Tate Britain was taken over for the Christopher Kane AW17 collection; the David Hockney exhibition in one part of the gallery, a tough yet feminine take on Autumn/Winter in the other.
This season the Scottish designer used the women behind the clothes as his inspiration – the factory worker, the lab worker, the women in the couture atelier. He looked at utility and uniforms, mixing them with the intricacy and embellished nature of couture: taffeta, heavy silk and beaded corsages.
The looks ranged from thick knits with sleeves covered in stepped pockets worn with silk floral structured skirts; long oversized camel coats; iridescent cardigans with matching skirts; to white PVC-coated fur-lined coats – a glamorous take on the lab coat – worn with Crocs and a sheer lace dress.
As for the evening wear-ready gowns, they came long and slinky with structured corsages along the neckline, or all over the body – or in a ’20s-style drop waist featuring panels of matte sequins. The footwear? It’s all about iridescent shoe boots, strappy heels complete with foam padding and mink-lined Crocs (but of course).
Words and images by Angharad Jones
