Lead ImageCotton gabardine trench coats by BurberryPhotography by Sam Rock, Styling by Agata Belcen and Nell Kalonji
At Balenciaga A/W18, Demna Gvasalia posed an important question: why simply wear one coat or jacket when you can style 1,000 on top of one another at once? Okay, so 1,000 might be an over-exaggeration. Nevertheless, through a faux-piling of outerwear on top of outerwear to create a mille-feuille of nylon, Gvasalia produced some clever, structured garments that artfully referenced the sculptural codes of the French fashion house.
In addition to a pleasingly bulbous silhouette, the many-layered approach to dressing extends far beyond aesthetic merit alone, particularly for occasions when getting out of bed on an arctic winter morning becomes a struggle of epic proportions. By throwing on several items of clothing at once, you can practically take the duvet and pillows with you to work. And really, what’s not to like about that? Here, Agata Belcen and Nell Kalonji present five ingenious ways to work with layering, as photographed by Sam Rock for the latest edition of AnOther.
1. Trench (above)
The classic gabardine Burberry trench is worn in a multiple of three differing tones for autumnal, Dulux colour chart realness.
Spandex body by American Apparel, multi-layered cotton skirt by Erika Cavallini and leather belts by BirkenstockPhotography by Sam Rock, Styling by Agata Belcen and Nell Kalonji
2. Skirt
While cotton might not be the warmest of fabrics, it certainly becomes insulating when assembled in thick layers. Pair with wool tights and knee-high boots to save on your heating bill this winter.
Cotton layered-vests dress and leggings by Y/ProjectPhotography by Sam Rock, Styling by Agata Belcen and Nell Kalonji
3. Vests
Glenn Martens of Y/Project transforms several pieces of skimpy underwear into a whole new garment, with a dress amalgamated from ribbed vests. Wear with leggings to keep your extremities cosy, as above.
Cashmere houndstooth-print scarf (worn across her body) by Holland & Holland, felted wool cardigan and merino wool cardigan by Pierantonio Gaspari, knitted tank top with tassels by Eckhaus Latta, hand-shredded digital-print top by Stefan Cookeand cashmere high-waisted briefs by Cashmere in Love. Photography by Sam Rock, Styling by Agata Belcen and Nell Kalonji
4. Wool
Cashmere, merino and felt come together in an ensemble which brazenly says: “I’m not afraid of a slight itch”.
Denim jackets and shirt by AG Jeans; men’s wool trousers by BalenciagaPhotography by Sam Rock, Styling by Agata Belcen and Nell Kalonji
5. Denim
Double denim becomes quadruple denim in the layering of three jackets and a shirt for a chic distillation of Britney and Justin on the 2001 AMAs red carpet.
Hair: Kiyoko Odo at Bryant Artists. Make-up: Nami Yoshida at Bryant Artists using Le Mat de Chanel Apotheosis and Le Lift by Chanel. Model: Veronika Kunz at The Squad Management. Casting: Noah Shelley at AM Casting. Set design: Janina Pedan at The Magnet Agency. Photographic assistants: Jack Symes and Alessandro Tranchini. Styling assistants: Rebecca Perlmutar, Chloe Grace Press, Camila Paiva, Joseph Ecorchard and Kristina Bagdonaite. Set-design assistant: Ksenia Pedan. Production: Carmel Dione Reeves.
This story originally featured in the Autumn/Winter 2018 issue of AnOther Magazine which is on sale internationally now.