After five weeks of shows, AnOther is proud to offer up a light-hearted treat: the launch of our new column AnOther Fashion Cartoon, illustrated by London-based Margot Bowman. First up, Christopher Kane's pool sandals already dubbed “the ugliest
After five weeks of shows, AnOther is proud to offer up a light-hearted treat: the launch of our new column AnOther Fashion Cartoon, illustrated by London-based Margot Bowman.
Every season there are certain design decisions that raise eyebrows and divide opinion. These controversial collection pieces often, however, spawn numerous imitators and spark bizarre trends. Take for example the skull cap that featured at Marni S/S11 and then at Prada for A/W11. Fashionable? Hardly. Practical? No, unless you’re going swimming (the former) or flying (the latter). And yet they were one of the top reported trends of the past season with the high street brands rolling out copycat versions.
For S/S12, Christopher Kane – who revived the classroom gel pencil case for A/W11 turning it into the season’s must-have clutch – directed his footwear inspiration to the unlikely realm of the poolside. With adjustable straps and a hefty sole Christopher Kane teamed his standout collection entirely with pool sandals. Covered in high-shine fabrics and encrusted with rich beading and crystals there was still no disguising the humble origins of his shoe choice. Practical? Yes (models were even seen running from one end of the catwalk to the other backstage.) Fashionable? Debatable – they have already been dubbed “the ugliest shoe of the season". However if there’s a man who can get us into flat shoes, it is definitely Kane, “An ultra-high heel, especially with a mini skirt just looks so old now,” he declared. And anyway, surely it is more interesting to find beauty where others don’t?
Text and curation by Lucia Davies
Margot Bowman is an illustrator, designer and DJ living in London. She is the Creative Director of The Estethetica Review, a fashion publication focusing on ethical fashion published biannually in conjunction with the British Fashion Council. Lucia Davies is the AnOther Editorial Assistant. She has also contributed to titles that include Dazed & Confused, The Independent, It's Nice That, Nowness and Twin Magazine.
