Robert Cary-Williams
Robert Cary-Williams is already acquiring a cult following at his second
showing at LFW. Fashion journalists Anna Wintour from 'American Vogue' and Hilary Alexander from 'The Daily Telegraph' were both in attendance. An off-site venue and maximum door security helped to hype-up the importance of this new designer. The collection itself, styled by Katie Grand ('Dazed and Confused'), is entitled 'Victorian Car Crash'. An environment that parallelled the raw and ripped quality of the clothes was successfully created. Firecracking explosions made both the audience and models jump and added an extra edge to the atmosphere.
Moulded leather and upholstery materials are obscurely combined by long zips. Hems are frayed and distressed whilst cuffs are electroplated. Random rips re-invent the clothes into unknown forms and misplaced splits in leather suits remain unexplained. These barely recognisable clothes were worn by the survivors as they emerged, dishevelled and crazed from the great "autumn/winter 99 car crash" constructed by Mr (s)Cary-Williams!